Twin Kingdoms, Pt II
by omegafire17
Summary: After the discovery that they enjoy playing shogi together, Ryuji and Hifumi having been hanging out a lot, as unlikely friends. Now though, months later, perhaps there's more to explore between them than just that. Four-shot, takes place after the first 'Twin Kingdoms'; Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Persona 5, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **As stated in the disclaimer, this story** **takes place after Twin Kingdoms, but in the vein of Ryuji and Hifumi becoming more than friends- the start of a seeming-unlikely pairing. Enjoy :P**

* * *

 _Kanda_

"Checkmate."

"F'real? Ah man, I thought I had you back there!"

Hifumi looked up with a smile, even as Ryuji tussled his hair with both hands; she had just won the game, yet again. "You almost did, Ryuji" she assured. "I had to rearrange my plans quite a bit, just to deal with your unexpected move."

He made a sound, but began to chuckle a bit. "Well, least that's somethin'" Ryuji said, almost playful as he picked up the pieces; she helped him out. "Better than the first times I played, by a long shot."

"You certainly do learn best by experience."

"That's how I roll."

As soon as he finished, they accidentally reached for a piece at the same time- Hifumi jolted a bit when their hands touched, but Ryuji's reaction was stronger. He pulled back so fast/hard that he accidentally dislodged the shogi board, spilling several pieces across the bench, and even onto the floor.

"Ah crap" Ryuji said, wincing- it wasn't long before he'd gotten up, gathering the pieces on the floor. "Sorry Hifumi, I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's fine" she breathed after a moment, semi-flustered but picking up the bench pieces. "These things happen."

He didn't answer this time, but when he got back up, Ryuji seemed to have a little trouble meeting her eyes... admittedly though, she had the same difficulty.

Having been shogi partners for several months now, they'd become good friends, but Hifumi believed that perhaps - just perhaps - Ryuji might be feeling 'more' towards her, and this could be further proof. For several reasons, he's trying to keep them at bay because he believed that while he felt that way - at least to some degree - _she_ might not and it could cause problems with their friendship.

Or so she's guessed- she could be wrong about the whole thing.

But if she's right... well, it certainly made her heart beat faster to think about it.

...

 _Later_

"Well, I had fun" Ryuji said with ease, just ahead of her, preparing to get back home - they were both outside the church. "Next time though, let's grab some ramen to go."

Hifumi took a moment, trying to keep her heart-rate down. "I will consider it" she said sincerely, if a bit slowly- he seemed to become concerned. "But um, before you head home. Ryuji?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"...there's something I've noticed about you lately, and perhaps even earlier in hindsight. If I am wrong, please correct me."

Ryuji's brow furrowed in confusion, fully turning back toward her. "Uh, okay" he breathed slowly, before tilting his head; his voice was lower and worried. "You alright, Hifumi? Did I do something wrong?"

She had to close her eyes, though she shook her head. "I'm fine, and no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just... about our- our hands touching-"

"Huh? W-What's that gotta do with anything?"

Hifumi steeled herself, trying to think of her question as the goal, and her position as Queen is to see that it would be done. "I have heard you state your preferred type of woman before, Ryuji" she said, trying not to stutter. "I believe we've both noticed that I, um, fit your type. So I wonder if- if your behavior now, and earlier... is a result of that."

For a moment, Ryuji just looked at her, as if trying to figure out her exact meaning- then his eyes widened/his body jolted, but unusually, he was silent. He didn't move afterward, but he did look away, one hand rubbing the back of his head - perhaps it was her imagination, but he seemed to be fighting down red cheeks.

Understandable; hers were probably pink by now.

She was about to say more, but Ryuji spoke first.

"I guess I ain't surprised, Hifumi" he said wearily, his demeanor saying 'now that it's out there, might as well face it' - still, Ryuji looked back without issue. "You think so many steps ahead, it makes my brain hurt to consider it. Still, I was kinda hoping you wouldn't notice, simply because I didn't wanna make you feel weird. Especially 'cause I like hanging out with ya."

"I don't feel weird, Ryuji" Hifumi quickly assured. "I too have enjoyed our hanging out. If anything, I'm flattered."

"Huh?" he breathed, looking flat-footed. "But I thought you were sick of people trying to ask you out!"

"I'm sick of those trying to ask me out from the start, because they see me as a famous person, not as I truly am" she said, and this infused her; the nervousness practically fell away. "But someone who hangs out with me, enjoys some of the things that I do, and wants to get to know me better as a person? I would have to be a fool to turn down that kind of connection!"

While surprised, Ryuji didn't mind her sudden intensity. Then: "Gah, I'm an effin' idiot!" he said suddenly, both hands briefly clutching his head.

"What do you-"

"I should've known that!" he continued, apparently not having heard - he kicked at a nearby pebble, which skidded away. "'C _ourse_ it was the idiots you didn't like asking you out! Not being asked out in general. How did I not put that together!?"

Hifumi grasped his arm. "Ryuji, please; don't beat yourself up" she insisted, if sincerely - not only that, but she worried his little rant would make a scene. "I'm certain others have made the same assumption you did."

His breathing was still heavy, but Ryuji appeared to consider her words, slumping and closing his eyes for a time. "...sorry 'bout that, Hifumi" he breathed after a moment, weary yet apologetic, . "I didn't mean to blow up like that."

"It's okay" she breathed gently, smiling.

"How?"

"Because it is who you are, Ryuji. An outspoken, honest man who always knows how he feels."

Ryuji seemed to become flustered, for he merely made a sound, before looking downward- they both realized that she's still holding his arm. Then after a quick glance at each other, realizing that they're standing kinda-close, they quickly moved a small distance away.

"I- Forgive me, for being too overt" Hifumi breathed, feeling her heart-rate go up, but fought not to lose her composure. "But it is the truth."

"Yeah" he breathed, as if feeling a lot himself, before shaking his head (to clear it). "I mean- wait, let me make sure I got this straight. You think that I like you 'that' way - not that you're exactly wrong - and you're telling me you're okay with it if I were?"

Her mouth twisted a bit, if with intent - 'not exactly wrong' sounded like her thoughts were spot-on, or close to it.

"More than that, Ryuji" she said, steeling herself again. "I- I'd like us to go on a date!"

"F'real!?" he exclaimed, practically taking a step back in shock - his eyes had gone wide, and his jaw had nearly dropped. "No way!"

Hifumi had to fight to remind herself that he's in shock, and expressing such; it was not actual denial, or it _shouldn't_ be. Combined with the fierce warmth that overtook her cheeks, she was temporarily incapable of coherent speech.

"Wha- wait wait, that's not what I meant by 'no way', Hifumi!" Ryuji quickly backpedaled - his voice remained considerably quick, and he did quite a few gestures with his hands. "I just didn't expect you to ask me on a date! Usually that's the guy's job! I mean, I'm not hung over it or anything- I wouldn't mind if a girl asked me out! Far from it! I just didn't expect this at all!"

"I- I understand that" she said, a small effort to talk at first, but she pushed through. "You didn't think someone like me would be... interested in you, even after hanging out for months."

He seemed to deflate, but only for a moment. "...well, yeah" he said, less intense but sincere; he rubbed his face with one hand, glancing away. "I know I look rough, and I got issues, and all that shit. I know it don't help my chances, but- but even despite that, it's why I always kept looking. I just never thought 'bout if someone actually... asked _me_ on a date."

As he finished, his cheeks turned redder.

While still nervous, Hifumi managed a little smile at the sight - not just relieved that he's nervous too, but also thinking Ryuji truly is interesting. He's outspoken and driven, always aiming to move forward, and yet seemed to have a contrasting issue with self-esteem, though she believed it's better than it was before.

If nothing else, because he had become friends with Akira.

"Well I have, Ryuji" she spoke, gentle- he jolted, as if he just remembered she was there. "I-I would like an answer."

His first reaction was a sound, blinking several times before he 'recovered'. "Yes! Absolutely!" he said in a rush, before he briefly clamped a hand over his mouth. "I-I mean-"

Hifumi giggled a bit, relieving part of her own nervous tension- whew. "That is all I needed to hear" she managed to say, feeling a little unsteady (and nervous-excited). "Though... I would like for us to determine what days are good first, if you don't mind."

/

 _Later_

 _Shibuya_

Once he got off the train, Ryuji was still in a daze, thinking this was happening... holy shit.

Hifumi Togo, the refined, humble, pretty shogi girl, had asked him on a date.

 _Him._

Even as he walked home, he dug out his phone and opened up the Chat, immediately typing - he made sure to keep an eye out, but otherwise typed. From the look of it, not everyone was available right now, as only the pictures of Ann, Yusuke, and Haru were visible; well, time to face their reactions, 'specially because this news would get out sooner or later.

Still, as he typed, his daze at what happened start to show.

...

 _Ryuji: Yo guys, you're never gonna believe what happened to me!_

 _Ann: I'm sure it won't be that big, Ryuji. Wait, is it bad or something?_

 _Yusuke: I certainly hope not. He said he was playing with Hifumi-san today, as has been added to his normal routine._

 _Haru: What did happen, Ryuji-kun?_

 _Ryuji: It ain't bad, Ann. Just big news._

 _Ryuji: Hifumi asked me out on a date!_

 _Ann: Wait, WHAT!?_

 _Haru: Congratulations, Ryuji-kun! You must be so happy!_

 _Yusuke: My word, this is a surprise! I did not foresee this development occurring at all._

 _Ryuji: Me either, Yusuke! But yeah, I'm happy. And surprised. And really really nervous, really._

 _Ryuji: Gah,_ _I'm repeating myself!_

 _Ann: Hifumi Togo seriously asked you on a date, Ryuji!? If this is you making stuff up, you'd better stop now._

 _Ryuji: I ain't making it up! I'm serious, Ann!_ _Like, Phantom Thieves level serious!_

 _Yusuke: That is indeed a serious level to claim. Thankfully we are having this conversation over text, or you would have shouted that to the world._

 _Haru: That aside, I doubt Ryuji-kun would have lied to us about dating a famous shogi player._

 _Ann: ...yeah, I doubt that too. I was just so in shock that I wasn't thinking straight._

 _Ann: Sorry, Ryuji._

...

Outside the phone, Ryuji had to resist a sigh; he's not surprised that Ann thought he might be boasting or whatever, specially at first.

Still, it'd be nice if sometimes she could _pretend_ to take him at his word, even for a little.

...

 _Ryuji: Forget 'bout it, Ann. I'm as surprised as anyone that Hifumi asked me out, seriously! But like hell that I'd turn her down._

 _Ann: I would've been shocked if you had said no, all things considered._

 _Yusuke: Such a response would be highly out-of-character regarding your personality Ryuji, and vastly concerning in addition._

 _Haru: But he has said yes, and I'm thrilled for you, Ryuji-kun! Any plans for the date thus far?_

 _Ryuji: Not yet. Hifumi weren't sure of her schedule, so I'm supposed to wait for her to chat me back on that, then we'll talk '_ _bout a place._

 _Ryuji: Still, I'm racking my brain trying to figure things out. She said she wouldn't mind if it was fancy, or casual._

 _Ann: Even on the first date?_

 _Ryuji: Apparently. Hifumi said nearly anything should be fine._

 _Yusuke: That is unusual, but it seems that it will be quite beneficial, Ryuji. If you date in a location you're comfortable with, it will be easier to make conversation, and admire her beauty._

 _Yusuke: Plus it will help keep your memory on the important details, when we all receive the story of said date. I am particularly looking forward to the passion that erupts from your hearts._

 _Haru: And you've been hanging out with each other for months, so it'll be even easier that way too._

 _Ryuji: True enough, Haru. And don't be effin' creepy, Yusuke!_

 _Yusuke: Whatever do you mean by that?_

 _Ann: Don't mind him, Yusuke. Also, I'm not really sold on your first date being super casual, Ryuji, but it is your affair._

 _Haru: Oh, an affair! That sounds so romantic on it's own already!_

 _Ryuji: Don't be getting no weird ideas either, Haru. Anyway, 'course I'm gonna do my best, casual or no casual._

 _Ann: Just promise me that at the end, you give her an extra-special smooch to compensate! ❤_

 _Ryuji: Goddamnit Ann, now I'm gonna be all nervous again!_

 _Yusuke: My goodness. Ann is ever so bold to suggest such a thing, and with such a symbol. Perhaps I must learn from her example to heighten my own various expressions._

 _Haru: Ann-chan, you didn't have to tease Ryuji-kun._

 _Ann: Sure I did Haru, heehee. I'm probably never gonna get the change to tease him about his first date ever again!_

 _Ryuji: IT'S NOT FUNNY!_

 _Yusuke: But first I believe I must discover how to send symbols in text..._

* * *

 _That night_

 _Home_

Man, it's been awhile since he saw his mom that happy...

Laying stomach-first on his bed, Ryuji gave a smile as he looked up from the locations stuff, thinking it was a really good thing. The fact that he had a date was good news already, but when she saw Hifumi's picture - Akira had snapped a pic of them playing shogi - it's like she'd lit up or something. Not that he minded: she'd been gradually getting better ever since he made friends with Akira and the others, proud that he's growing up a little, though she was also kinda-sad 'bout it. Heck, she was even proud of him for having been a Phantom Thief - she'd had a heavy suspicion after seeing the broadcast calling out Shido, though she only called him out after the whole Christmas fight - and working hard to stop bad people.

Though, he'd gotten a motherly earful for putting himself in danger, and all that... but guess he'd had that coming.

Back to the locations stuff, that reminded him: Hifumi must be dealing with something, as she still hadn't chatted him back. If this were a girl he'd asked on the spot, he'd be ultra-nervous right now, thinking that maybe she wasn't gonna call back at all, but Ryuji knew her: even if seriously late, she'd take the time to answer when she could.

That aside, he's still nervous in general.

Why wouldn't he be? A girl he didn't think would like him 'that' way, apparently liked him enough to think that she could!

Ryuji shook his head then, trying to get himself to focus again: let's see, they'd frequently played at Kanda's church or Cafe Leblanc, while also hanging out at Shibuya's arcade, and going to Ogikubo for ramen or Tsukishima for monjayaki. Those places seemed like good... mmh, what's the word- oh yeah, 'fallback' date spots, but definitely not first-date material - he then marked Ginza and Miura Beach as 'maybe'. That expensive sushi place was good, but he couldn't make that a regular place to go on a date, not without wasting all his Phantom Thief money... plus he's not sure Hifumi would accept him making it a regular date spot in the first place, on account of it being so expensive. The beach could happen on another date, but _definitely_ not the first; he didn't wanna risk making her uncomfortable in any way, particularly knowing how he'd react to her in a swimsuit.

Just then his phone buzzed, and he took it out-

-Hifumi was calling!

His hand briefly shook, then he grunted and got a hold of himself.

*click* "Hello?"

 _"I'm sorry that I'm late in getting back to you, Ryuji"_ came her voice, a bit worried. _"Various things were piled upon me today, and I could not use my phone."_

A little smile, thinking that she's as modest as ever. "Knowing you Hifumi, I thought it was something important" Ryuji said easily on instinct, though his heart kept beating fast - but hey, whatever works is good by him. "And it worked out, as I'm still trying to decide a location, right now even. I know you said you'd be okay with anywhere, but..."

 _"But you want our first date to be special?"_

"Yeah. O-Or at least, ya know, make it memorable."

 _"Well, if that's what you insist upon, I won't argue. Still, I believe it will be memorable regardless... considering it will be my- my first time dating."_

Part of him felt surprised, at least until he remembered Hifumi's situation; before they changed her heart, Hifumi's mom had been running her life, which included no dating. He tried to imagine what it was like, but couldn't... all he could think of was his time with the track team, trying to keep each other going, and trying to impress girls at the same time.

Maybe it would've worked too, if things were different...

"Honestly, it'll be my first date too" Ryuji breathed, quiet - he flipped the page, finding this one talking 'bout 'Inokashira Park', which he's half-sure he heard of somewhere before. "If I weren't so focused, I'd probably be shaking right now, or maybe trying to run it off. I ain't gonna let it stop me, but even still."

 _"Understandable. Still, I'm glad to hear that you're nervous as well; it comforts me, a little."_

He felt several things at that, before he stopped as he looked up something specific about Inokashira Park-

-that'll be perfect!

 _"Oh"_ Hifumi breathed; Ryuji only just realized he hadn't responded for several seconds. _"Perhaps that was too overt of me."_

"Nononono, it's fine" he said quickly. "I agree with that, seriously. It's just that I got distracted, because I finally found a place that seems good for us!"

 _"Really? Where?"_

"Heard of Inokashira Park, Hifumi?"

 _"Vaguely. I know it's a spot near Shibuya, but little else."_

Ryuji grinned. "Then in that case, prepare to be surprised" he said, all teasing-like - good thing too, as he forgot about his nervousness. "You'll be in for a treat. When are ya free?"

Hifumi sounded a bit more flustered, thanks to this tone. _"I- I should be available at the end of the week, three days from now, at 3 PM Ryuji. As well as two days after that, around a similar time, though I will still need to be home in time for dinner on both days."_

Having gone over his own schedule, he already had his answer. "That fifth day won't work for me, but the third should do nicely" Ryuji said in an instant, and then he pumped his fist. "So it looks like we're going on that date!"

 _"Y-Yes, we are! Oh dear, now I'm even more nervous about this."_

"We both feel that way, Hifumi. But like I said, can't let it stop us."

 _"Of course. Still, I will- I shall meet you in Shibuya around 3 PM, near the train line that connects to Kanda, Ryuji. Agreed?"_

"Looking forward to it!"

...

Later on, his phone buzzed again to his surprise; someone else was calling? Opening it up, he saw the Chat was active, with pics of Akira, Makoto, and Futaba-

Their messages read:

 _Makoto: Is it true what I heard, Ryuji? That Hifumi Togo asked you on a date?_

 _Futaba: I'm freaking out trying to figure how that works. Even the opposites attract app is being fried! DX_

 _Akira: Ryuji, you lucky dog._

...

Ryuji weren't surprised word had spread... it would've been nice if he could've told all of them, but he started typing back, and his excitement rose.

...

 _Ryuji: It's true, Makoto, guys. Hifumi really asked me out and everything!_

 _Makoto: I knew you and Hifumi got along surprisingly well, but this is truly unexpected._

 _Akira: Morgana would like to express his disbelief._

 _Ryuji: Yeah, well tell the cat to can it dude. Once I got proof of our date in photos, he'll have to accept that it's damn well happening._

 _Makoto: Let's not get carried away here guys._

 _Futaba: Why?_ _Ryuji-vs-Morgana is entertaining._

 _Futaba: Standard vitriolic-best-buds trope you see in any work of fiction._

 _Akira: Except I'm in control of the phone._

 _Ryuji: I dunno what that all means Futaba, but we've got better things to do than argue anyway._

 _Ryuji: If Morgana can't accept this, that's his own damn problem._

 _Makoto: Those statements are somewhat surprising, but I must agree with Ryuji._

 _Futaba: Never thought I'd see that day o_o_

 _Akira: So Ryuji? Tell us the details._

 _Ryuji: Sure dude. I'm taking Hifumi to Inokashira Park in three days, and I'm trying to have a lot planned._

 _Akira: I'm with you in spirit. You know that._

 _Makoto: I am as well, surprising as this is. In fact, if you have any troubles planning stuff, I might be able to help in some way if you wish._

 _Ryuji: 'Preciate the help, Akira, Makoto, but I still think I got this._

 _Futaba: You would. But though my mental processors are fried, g_ _o for a home run._

 _Ryuji: Uh... thanks Futaba, I guess._

 _Makoto: If I may ask though, um, what exactly does Hifumi like about you?_

 _Futaba: Ooh! Juicy details be-a-coming!_

 _Ryuji: Well uh, she likes that I'm honest, open, and don't hesitate when it comes to a lot of things._

 _Akira: Morgana wants to know how she feels about your... loudness and language._

 _Makoto: I can already tell Morgana said it differently than that, Akira._

 _Futaba: Duh. Black cat be cocky that way._

 _Akira: He takes offense to that description._

...

Ryuji pretty much growled to himself for a moment, if from behind his own arm- that damn cat, he swore.

He so much wanted to lash out at him for this, but the moment he does, it'll be going back on his own words 'bout not fighting- just gotta keep a grip.

...

 _Ryuji: Hifumi don't care 'bout them._

 _Makoto: What do you mean, Ryuji?_

 _Ryuji: Exactly as I said. Not sure if she 'likes' them or whatever, but she don't hate them at all. In fact, she barely reacts to them at all._

 _Futaba: Tell us something vulgar you said to her then. Need data to analyze._

 _Akira: That's a little too personal, Futaba._

 _Makoto: I tend to agree. Plus there's no reason to suspect that Ryuji isn't telling us the truth, at least at this point._

 _Futaba: Friends turned against me. Going into power-saving mode to convert Ryuji/Hifumi data now :9_

 _Ryuji: The hell did she mean by that? I mean, I get she left the chat, but..._

 _Makoto: I'd just assume she means getting used to the idea that you two are going on a date._

 _Makoto: It was quite a surprise, but I still wish you luck - if Hifumi really does like those traits, you can be yourself with any worries. That is the biggest obstacle, after all._

 _Akira: Steal her heart, Ryuji._

 _Ryuji: Not gonna go full Phantom Thieves on her dude. But still, thanks, all of ya._

After that, Ryuji exited out of the Chat, feeling a lot of things, including irritation that Morgana had to sour this a bit. But that aside, he's going on this date and he's gonna enjoy himself - Hifumi's probably planning on the same, in her own way, no matter how nervous she is. And at the same time, he's also feeling a little proud of himself, as despite his first impulse, he hadn't blown up at Morgana's aggravating comments _and_ he'd said there's no point in fighting anyway. Sure, he still told Akira to tell Morgana to can it, but it's definitely progress; even Makoto and Futaba seemed to think so, or at the least were surprised.

 _"I may be the one slowly changing myself, but it's still thanks to you dude"_ he thought, figuring he could see Akira give him his usual confident smirk. _"I won't forget all the help you gave me with Shujin's track team."_

* * *

 **First off, I know like many others that Joker's canon name is now Ren Amamiya, rather than Akira Kurusu. That being said, I'm keeping it the latter in my P5 fics out of simple, personal preference - no disrespect or anything intended, but fair warning to those getting used to the former.**

 **Second, I like writing these Chat moments; having everyone weigh in makes it interesting XD Also, Christmas/Happy New Year to everyone, and hope you all enjoy this fourshot fic**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Persona 5, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **As stated in the disclaimer, this story** **takes place after Twin Kingdoms, but in the vein of Ryuji and Hifumi becoming more than friends- the start of a seeming-unlikely pairing. Enjoy :P**

* * *

 _Shibuya_

 _Near Kanda Line_

Five minutes till the time Hifumi said- Ryuji made a sound, knowing he shouldn't be nervous, since she's not late yet.

And yet somehow, he still is...

"Ryuji."

Having been checking his phone, he was surprised at first, but quickly realized it was Hifumi- damn she looked nice! Modest as usual, but pretty nice! She wore this white long-sleeved shirt, though there were a few color accents and stuff, along with a long-ish dark-blue skirt, under which she wore brown leggings. Compared to his casual 'ZOMG' shirt (underneath his open jacket) and jeans, it's like she was rich-class fancy by comparison... hehe, he wondered what her idea of 'actual' fancy was, but was pretty sure he might find out later.

"Hifumi" Ryuji said quickly, realizing he'd been staring a bit- he tried for a smile. "Glad you could make it."

She dipped her head, hands in front of her, clutching a handbag of sorts. "We did make plans" Hifumi said a bit shyly, if lip curving. "It would have been rude of me to be late."

"Well yeah, but I-I was just saying anyway."

They shared a little reaction, she humming slightly and he a bit sheepish, before there was a moment of silence.

"Come on. We should get going" Ryuji said, hoping it didn't get too bad- he gestured for her to follow, and began walking. Hifumi caught up to him easily enough, but he didn't see the moment where she'd paused, as if surprised about something.

* * *

 _Inokashira Park_

"Daaammn, I forgot how good this place looked!" Ryuji breathed, mostly to himself- seriously, all this nature and stuff was a nice chance from the cities. Not to mention, he saw paths and such that ran around the lake, which could've made good running paths for him - now he's kicking himself for not coming here before just because he was single. "Seriously, look at this!"

"I am looking" Hifumi breathed beside him, sounding similarly impressed. "The scenery is truly lovely."

He turned toward her then, giving a little grin. "So you like it? Sweet" he said, chuckling a bit. "Well, I said you'd be in for a treat, Hifumi."

She seemed to become shy again, glancing away with a slight pink blush. "You did say that, Ryuji" she admitted, before slowly looking back at him. "And even though our date has just started, I am- I am already beginning to enjoy myself. Although, I have no plans of where to go from here."

"That's fine" Ryuji quickly assured. "I got some for us. If we decide to do different stuff though, we can, so don't feel like you're being railroaded."

Some surprise, before she began to laugh a little. "A strange way of putting it" Hifumi told him, smiling. "But I don't believe that I'll feel that way."

To that, he just laughed back a little.

"Still, what is the first step in your plan?"

"Taking a walk around the park" Ryuji said straight-out, which seemed to surprise her again, slightly. "We walk around together, talking and all that shit, hopefully break the ice between us" he continued, before rubbing his head (and tapping his foot). "Well, what little ice there may be. I mean, it's not like we're total strangers."

Hifumi soon nodded. "Of course" she answered, before tilting her head. "Still, I find it admirable that you aren't showing your nervousness so easily, Ryuji."

"Uh- well, it's not 'cause I'm hiding it or nothin'" he admitted, a bit sheepish. "I _am_ nervous, a lot. I'm just so focused on what I'm trying to say right now, that I guess I'm not thinkin' 'bout it, f'real."

"That level of focus is still admirable" she said, completely sincere-

-in fact, he suddenly felt a bit warm in the cheeks, but managed a kinda-stupid grin to cover for it.

"Thanks for that, Hifumi" Ryuji managed to say, feeling better; her kindness always surprised him. Seriously, even when dealing with a guy like him, she's nice, patient, and sincere in everything she said... it's almost too good-to-be-true that he's on a date with her.

Almost; he sure as hell ain't dreaming _right now_.

"You're quite welcome, Ryuji" Hifumi answered, still sincere as she gave him a slight bow. "Now uh, shall we go on that walk?"

"Sure thing. But first, I got a little something for ya."

"Huh?" she breathed, surprised- she soon saw that he's digging into his pockets. "You- you got something for me?"

Ryuji gave a chuckle, finding what he's looking for, though he kept them inside his closed fists at first. "Two days ago, I was at Ahikabara's arcade, and I tried the gachapon machines there" he said, to her growing interest. "They sell little figures in capsules, but what you get is random. Anyway, I tried them, and on two of my tries, I struck gold!"

Like that, he opened his hands, revealing two golden dragon charms- the kind you attach to phones and such.

Hifumi made a sound, interested. "They're quite lovely" she said, before looking at him with surprise again. "Wait, you're giving me one?"

"Hell yeah I am" he said with a grin. "I thought that since you're always going on 'bout that dragon in shogi, maybe you should have this little guy for good luck, 'specially for your professional matches."

It wasn't long before another smile appeared on her face - leaving him a bit wondering/jolted - before she took the one in his right hand. "Thank you for your kindness, Ryuji" she said, clearly pleased, looking at the charm fondly. "I swear that I will treasure it always."

"G-Good to hear! Plus we're all matching and everything too; hope you don't mind."

"Why would I mind?" Hifumi asked, curious.

To that, he couldn't answer... mostly because he suddenly felt tongue-tied, regarding her smile.

/

 _Somewhat later_

This truly was a good date thus far, as she is quite enjoying herself.

In addition to his dragon charm gift - very thoughtful, and even practical - they had gotten ice cream from a moving stand, which was quite delicious. All-throughout their walk, she and Ryuji had talked about various things, including her own observations about the park's scenery; she even took pictures of various areas. Ryuji had said he wasn't much for taking 'pics' of scenery, but it didn't stop him from admiring the sights anyway - yet though he didn't take pictures of the park itself, he took various ones of them, something she also began doing after realizing her lack thereof. Sometimes just her in Ryuji's case, which made her slightly self-conscious (if happy), and occasionally the two of them together; he always had this big grin when taking the latter, and sometimes just in general.

Even after spending months playing together, she found she hadn't gotten tired of the sight one bit. Plus she was curious about the hobbies she had heard from him: playing games (presumably different than shogi), reading manga, and so forth - by contrast, her non-shogi hobbies were still limited.

Still, the only (minor) flaw thus far, the source of her continued nervousness, was regarding one specific aspect. Ryuji - either deliberately, or unknowingly via his 'focus' - had not thought to try and hold her hand just yet, despite them being on a date.

 _"Ryuji is also nervous, focus notwithstanding"_ Hifumi thought, hands held together, bag included; she glanced at his profile. _"Perhaps he is also 'waiting for the right time'. But... well, uh, if he doesn't try before the next activity is over, I believe I must. It is the- the next step, and it isn't only up to him when it happens."_

Easier said than done though, since the thought made her body jittery.

"Alright, almost there!"

Jolted out of her thoughts, she saw Ryuji pointing down the path, and subsequently got her looking in that direction. He was pointing toward a shack on the waterfront, which housed numerous boats in a dock: they were big enough for two people to sit, allowing them to row upon the lake's surface.

"That's our next activity" Ryuji said, turning toward her. "Whaddya you think, Hifumi?"

Hifumi found her cheeks heating slightly- the thought of the two of them together in a boat, alone, was both embarrassing and a bit thrilling. "I have never been on a boat before" she admitted, if gentle. "I am nervous, yet looking forward to the experience. However... I hope you won't mind me asking you to row, Ryuji."

He gave off a chuckle. "I was gonna anyway" Ryuji said, sincere. "I mean, I try and work out a lot, so it'd simply be easier for me to row both of us; it's cool."

"Even still, my asking you might have been considered rude."

To that, he just gave a grin, stepping closer and slipping an arm over her shoulder- even in her pleasant surprise, she noticed that the gesture was instinctive, rather than planned. "You gotta do a looot more than that to be rude, Hifumi, far as I'm concerned" he said easily. "And 'sides, even if you were rude to me, like casual level stuff, I'd probably just brush it off. It wouldn't be that big of a deal."

Heart beating faster, if content with the way things were progressing, Hifumi smiled. "It would be a big deal to me, Ryuji" she answered, very much aware of his arm every second. "I never wish to be rude toward someone I've become v-very fond of, under any circumstances."

Evidently her words had an effect, for Ryuji didn't verbally answer; his cheeks became slightly red, helped by his split-second realization of where his arm was/how they were standing. In fact, his first impulse was to jolt, about to half-pull his arm from it's position-

-thankfully, she had foreseen that happening, and she clutched at his wrist with her hand.

Though she was content, her cheeks still remained warm. "Um- I do not- I do not mind where your arm is, Ryuji" she said, struggling somewhat but getting through it. "I would prefer that you keep it there... at least, until we arrive at that dock. That is, if you do not mind!"

"N-No" Ryuji said quickly - however, he seemed _quite_ surprised, despite his saying that. "I don't mind, like at all. F'real!"

...

Minutes later, after Ryuji self-taught himself the rowing motions, they were in a rowboat and heading toward the center of the lake. It was an interesting sensation, sitting on a surface that moved with the water's ripples, but quite serene - and while they weren't the only ones out on the lake, they were spread-out enough to generally be considered 'alone'.

"I didn't know this place offered such a service" Hifumi breathed, quite content. "It is quite enjoyable. Thank you, Ryuji."

At his place, Ryuji gave a semi-sheepish grin, doing several backhanded rows to slow them down; now they could just float. "Well, I thought it'd be memorable" he answered, stretching his arms then. "From what I heard, this place is a great date spot, and uh, it's usually only couples who do this boat thing. Though honestly, at first I wasn't sure how much _I'd_ like it."

Then he chuckled, glancing around several times. "Now that I'm here though, I gotta say I'm liking it. It's just so nice, even if it might not be a regular thing for me."

She was glad to hear that, giving a smile. "I feel that latter part as well, that it is really nice" she admitted, threading a bit of hair behind her ear. "I never imagined before that I would ride on a boat with a- a man, much less during a date."

"You were totally 'bout to call me a 'boy', weren't ya?" Ryuji asked, teasing; he had his signature grin.

"I-I wasn't!"

"You were! It was totally on the tip of your tongue!"

Hifumi tried to respond, to return the little 'banter', but had difficulty forming the words- she was shaking a bit from suppressed laughter. "You- Ryuji, this isn't funny!"

While he retained the grin, his only response was to chuckle. "Could've fooled me" Ryuji said, still clearly enjoying himself, hands resting upon his knees. "Then again, it's not like you're wrong. We're still in high school, so hopefully I got a bit of growing left - sure as hell hope so, because I really wanna grow into a somewhat-bigger build."

While slightly miffed over his tease, she kept her smile, having enjoyed it regardless.

"They say that after the age of eighteen, perhaps even twenty, we tend to gain an extra inch or two of height" Hifumi recalled, as part of her effort to recompose herself. "Though, this is in general. Everyone is different."

"F'real?" he asked, seemingly referring to her 'in general' statement, before pumping his fist. "Hell yeah, I can't wait for that!"

She wasn't surprised, even as she noted the boat swaying due to his fist-pump; perhaps they could support two people's weight, yet their construction was still light. "I'm certain it'll happen before you know it, Ryuji."

"But till then, I just gotta keep at it" he continued, beginning to flex in place- she was caught off-guard. "Keep myself in shape by running every day, working out at the gym, and all that shit."

After determining that his 'showing off' was how he felt right now, rather than the obvious implication, Hifumi managed to tone down her flustered feelings. It's true that during their time spent hanging out, it'd been easy to see that Ryuji's quite toned, perhaps even muscular- knowing that he worked out/ran on a regular basis only added to the image.

It certainly explained things.

At the same time, she noticed that Ryuji still wasn't giving any obvious signs of- of wanting to 'make a move' on her, even for small stuff. Hifumi thought it's possible that maybe, he's simply waiting till the end of their date, trying to show proper manners... if true, and even if not, she appreciated the thought. However, while she would prefer a gradual pace, she wasn't _that_ conservative... or at least, that's the feeling she has discovered recently. She observed that since hanging out with Akira, and later Ryuji, she has definitely become more sure of herself, even if she's still a bit nervous about showing off her shogi habits.

A little smile.

"If that is what you have decided, I will say 'good luck'" Hifumi breathed sincerely, before her hands began to move in place. "But as of right now, may I- um, may I-I sit next to you, Ryuji?"

"Huh?" he breathed, almost freezing with surprise - the contrast between how he was before, and now, was almost startling. "Oh, uh... y-yeah, sure. I mean, i-if you want."

Must be the nervousness talking, or the surprise- perhaps both.

Well for now, there is the 'first experience' barrier; after they've crossed it, he should start leaning back toward his normal behavior.

Carefully, making sure that the rowboat stayed (relatively) steady - which Ryuji unconsciously helped on - Hifumi managed to half-stand and move over to his side. He quickly made room, almost too quick since it partially tipped them, to both of their sounds, but after that they were steady again; she quickly sat down, heart still beating faster.

"I didn't expect this" Ryuji said, looking at her; he seemed nervous, but not unwilling. "I mean, you being this 'forward', Hifumi... sorta. Earlier I was thinking you'd wanna wait till at least the end of the date, maybe after that on a potential second one, when it's all proper and such."

 _"That's why you were surprised earlier, when I was okay with your arm around my shoulder"_ she thought, if relieved; so it's not just because he's nervous.

Out loud: "I'm certain I would hold a stranger to such standards, but you are not a stranger, Ryuji" she said, gentle- her nervousness showed too, yet she's okay. "I mean, I don't wish you to- to completely ignore dating etiquette, but you can do what you feel is acceptable within reason, and ask where you aren't certain. If I have a problem with anything, you will certainly find out."

Then Hifumi fully looked at him. "Although, if you are insistent upon being proper, I don't wish to pressure you into changing your mind" she quickly assured. "Just that I'm amenable to you- um, being more f-forward."

"Amenable" Ryuji said, in a slower, repeating type of tone. "That another word for agreeing?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Barely a second passed before: " _Man_ , you're awesome!" he said with a chuckle/grin, fairly louder. Were she not used to these types of moments from their shogi sessions, she might have jumped from her seat (and potentially caused issues with the boat); as it was, she was only surprised. "For a proper girl, you're way more okay with a lot of stuff than I would've guessed! Dunno why it surprises me at this point, but it does."

"I-I'm honored by your compliment, Ryuji" Hifumi breathed, somewhat flustered-if-pleased by it. "I hope I can continue to surprise you."

"Me too, for both of us."

A moment later, Ryuji's arm was again moving around her shoulder- despite her surprise, her beating-faster heart, she noted aspects about the motion (namely that it wasn't instinctive this time, and was hesitant-slow). A quick look at Ryuji confirmed these: he was looking at her intently, seeing if she's okay with it or not, but his nervousness was particularly visible, including a few instinctive mouth movements.

While her cheeks heated slightly, she did manage a smile to reassure him, as well as slowly leaning her arm/side against his; it seemed to work, if his breathing out was any indication.

"I'd- I'd like us to stay like this, for a few minutes" Hifumi whispered, only an effort keeping her from mumbling. "Is that okay?"

"'Course it is, Hifumi" he breathed back, nervous again but different than earlier. "And after that?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

Two things are for certain though: 1) she is feeling unmistakably warmer from this contact, even if minor- though this could also be part of her body's reactions to the contact. And 2), that when they do get back to shore, she knew exactly what she wanted to do first... even though the thought of actually doing so was making her more nervous.

But she cannot let it stop her; it'd be unfair to Ryuji, who was trying despite his own nervousness making him assume various things.

...

Man, he's still kicking himself for being an idiot back there, assuming that he had to be _completely_ proper or else he'd screw things up, even unconscious or whatever. True, Hifumi didn't want him to do whatever he wanted - like hell that he would - but she'd been willing for him, and herself, to go a bit faster during this date, and he didn't consider that possibility at all despite having hanged out with her for months.

But, he can't sit here and blame himself right now; what's done is done.

 _"Better late than never"_ Ryuji thought to himself, carefully trying to turn the rowboat back to the dock- they were only a few feet away now. _"Now at least, I can do things more properly. That's better."_

Somehow he managed it; the boat nudged the dock, but otherwise slid into place before he stopped it, tying the boat back into place. Only after that did Hifumi carefully stand up, getting off one leg at a time, whereas he just jumped-and-landed with ease- she didn't seem particularly surprised, judging by the little smile she gave.

He just sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe it's just me, but you looked like you wanted to stay longer, Hifumi" Ryuji said, a bit playful-

-her cheeks nearly turned pink, but her lip did curve. "It- it wasn't just you, Ryuji" she admitted, hands held together (if fidgeting a bit). "But we could not stay forever."

"Yeah" he breathed, glancing out at the lake. "Still, there's a little time left. We can walk back to the train station, hitch a ride, and then you'll get back in time for dinner. You said that, right?"

Hifumi slowly walked closer, standing more at his right side (which when he noticed, almost startled him). "I did" she said, more gentle; she gave him a little smile, though she seemed shy. "I'm glad that you remembered."

Again, Ryuji felt a bit of that warmth, and he didn't know what to say-

-then that moment, her fingertips brushed against his.

"Huh?" was his first, instinctive reaction, before he looked down and realized what he was seeing- she was trying to hold his hand!? He quickly looked up, seeing that she'd paused, as if his reaction had made her uncertain... but despite that, he saw that while nervous/shy, she _wanted_ to hold his hand.

Hot damn, she really is awesome!

Still he suddenly felt nervous, and also- wait, hell no! 'Eff that! He's not let that stop him no more, like he just thought!

His hand jerked at first, almost making her jolt as she glanced down, but then Ryuji got his hand to move properly. Within a second he'd taken her hand, real fast too, and Hifumi was surprised... still, even as her cheeks turned pinker (and his a bit red, probably), her fingers did grasp back after a moment.

Man, her hand sure felt warm...

"I-" she breathed, considerably shyer. "I'm sorry if- if I surprised you, Ryuji."

It took him a moment, but he got his mouth to work. "You did, but it was- it was a good one. F'real" he managed to say, hoping he weren't stuttering or nothin'.

Hifumi managed a little smile, seeming relieved. "I'm glad. Still, there is... one other thing I wish to know, before we head back."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Were you- were you also planning on, um, walking me home? At the end of this date?"

That briefly threw him off, simply because he weren't expecting it. "Uh... earlier, I think I was. Now, I'm not sure" he said honestly, if slower. "Do you want me to, Hifumi? I can, ya know, if you really want."

Rather than make her _even more_ shy, Hifumi seemed to like that; she kept the little smile. "I do appreciate the thought, Ryuji" she breathed, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "But, that being said, I-I don't wish you to board a train with me to Kanda, then have to come all the way back to Shibuya. You will be late getting home, and it will cost you yen that could be spent elsewhere."

"It's not that much, really" he said, rubbing his head. "But, if you're against it-"

"I am, at least a little."

"-then sure, I guess we can say goodbye at the station instead."

The station- waitwaitwaitwaitwait! If he's not going through the walking-her-home thing, than that means she might expect him to kiss her when they got there! Or heck, if he hadn't realized this, she probably would've brought it up and then had them do it... and would've been yet another thing that his nervousness would try to hold back!

 _Not_ this time!

"We will" Hifumi continued, even as he had these thoughts - she glanced down at nothing, seeming half-occupied. "Still, I-I hope I'm not assuming when I say that- that we shouldn't only s-say 'goodbye'. Once we have gotten to the station-"

Exactly then, Ryuji moved his hands to her shoulders, and since he was fast about things, he ended up a half-step closer too.

"-ahh!" she breathed, surprised at this; her hands instinctively grasped his arms.

It felt like a long time, or maybe it weren't; all he knew was that his heart's beating like crazy, and his cheeks were really, _really_ warm. Ryuji could see the same signs on Hifumi too, as her cheeks were red, and eyes wider - in fact, he realized they were closer than he initially thought, and he could actually feel her breath.

Despite some difficulty moving his head, he managed it, at least half-an-inch forward... her breathing got faster, but then Hifumi started to relax (if still nervous-shy), eyes closing. Having gotten the go-ahead, he unconsciously did the same things, not thinking at all- as if he could at this point.

Next thing he knew, they were kissing.

 _Somewhere_ in his head, he was in awe over the sensations: this was so much sweeter than he'd ever thought it could be, and so warm too! But mostly he moved on instinct, trying things out slowly and not using too much pressure - Hifumi seemed to be doing the same, even as her hands moved up to his shoulders.

Oh man... that little bit she did really worked for him...

Much too soon, Ryuji started to have a little trouble breathing-

-so against his will, he pulled back, panting a little even as Hifumi brushed a hand over her mouth.

He couldn't speak; it's like he didn't know words at all, and could only stare.

Her cheeks were still red, but she did (unconsciously) smile a little, a shy-yet-embarrassingly-pleased type... man, her smiles always affected him! Because he was distracted by this, he didn't notice for a couple seconds that Hifumi had taken his hand again, without a word.

And she wouldn't let go, at least until later, when they got back to the station.

"That was..."

Somehow, that got him to 'recover'. "That was what?" Ryuji breathed, blinking.

The redness in her cheeks deepened.

"T-Thrilling."

/

 _Shibuya_

 _Kanda Line_

Wow... even now, her heart couldn't stop pounding; the sensations of their kiss kept re-occurring.

"So, I will- I will see you later then, Ryuji" Hifumi managed to say, if with warm cheeks.

"Y-Yeah" Ryuji breathed, rubbing his head- perhaps it's just her, but it looked like he's waiting for the right moment to 'explode' (perhaps after she left). "I dunno what we should do uh, next time, but... w-we'll figure it out later."

"Of course."

The next moment though, she stepped forward- this time Ryuji was the one surprised, as she had hesitantly kissed him. It was brief, and again she felt like lingering over the sensations, but managed to feel better at the sight of his wide-eyed expression, before giving a small bow and quickly excusing herself onto the train. He watched her go with the same expression, slowly easing as the seconds passed, whereupon she eventually gave him a wave as the doors closed. Ryuji returned it unconsciously, it seemed, before he regained some control and smiled-

-then his hand turned into a fist, and a grin split his face as he half-turned.

The train doors and 'underway' sounds didn't _quite_ muffle his response: "HELL YEEEAAAAHHHHH!"

Hifumi stared at his receding profile for a moment, then promptly burst into a giggling fit, even as various other passengers reacted to this/the yell. A fair few wondered who that 'weirdo' was, but she barely paid mind, thinking that was quite silly... and endearing as well.

...

Ryuji didn't care 'bout the looks he'd drawn; he was just so happy that they're gonna go on another date! Sure, this one had a few issues on his part, but now he knows about them and can avoid them next time - oh, and speaking of next time, something he's gotta do.

Quickly, he took out his phone and scrolled over the pictures he'd taken on their date, before going into the message function.

 _To Akira:_

 _Show to Morgana. Tell him we both had fun, and there's gonna be a next date. Will talk later._

 _Ryuji_

After hitting 'send', Ryuji grinned a little, hoping the cat finally got the hint- but that'll have to wait. For now he brought up the Chat, and saw Ann's picture was active... yup, just as he thought; anxiously waiting for him to get on so she can get all the 'juicy details'.

She never changed... *sigh*

 _Ryuji: So, been waiting to ask me 'bout my date or what Ann?_

 _Ann: I wasn't gonna ask you about your date!_

 _Ryuji: Uh-huh, sure._

 _Ann: ...so how was it?_

'Effing called it!

 _Ryuji: It went great! Took Hifumi on that boat ride and everything! We kissed twice, and there's gonna be a next date!_

 _Ann: A next date!? That's great news! Where you two going and what are you gonna wear?_

 _Ryuji: Woah slow down Ann! I ain't thought 'bout that stuff yet... and I don't even know when it's gonna be either!_

* * *

 **Ah Ryuji, trying so hard yet sometimes going about things the wrong way; good thing Hifumi has a fairly logical mind, and despite her lack of social experience, is a bit driven to learn new things :)  
**

 **And just in time for the next chapter's events too.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Persona 5, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **As stated in the disclaimer, this story** **takes place after Twin Kingdoms, but in the vein of Ryuji and Hifumi becoming more than friends- the start of a seeming-unlikely pairing. Enjoy :P**

* * *

 _Kanda_

"Gah, talk about rude. The guy wasn't looking and ran into me, then didn't even say 'sorry'" Ryuji said under his breath, looking behind him. "Wonder what his damn problem was."

But whatever; he entered the church as usual and made his way up the aisles, as today he was to play with Hifumi again. A little smile appeared at the thought, thinking that after their dates at Inokashira Park and Suidobashi, today was just another average hanging-out via playing shogi, then maybe getting some dinner together- that type of 'casual date' or whatever it's called. Still, the fact that they _were_ dating hadn't fully sunk in yet... he kept waking up in the morning like normal, before realizing all the stuff that he and Hifumi had gone through. This had to be one of the luckiest turns of his life, second only to meeting Akira and the rest of their friends.

Even once they've all grown-up and found their place in life, he knew he wanted to stay in touch, and hang out when possible. They'd had a small, joking talk about that stuff as of late, which he's still mulling over...

His thought process was interrupted when he saw Hifumi, who was sitting in her usual spot. "Yo, I'm here" he said easily-

-Hifumi looked at him with a jolt, blinking once before the surprise was gone. "Oh. Hello, Ryuji" she breathed.

Ryuji stopped. "You okay?" he asked in concern, "You sound kinda bothered."

"I suppose because I am. Sorry about that."

He quickly sat down. "What happened?"

Her mouth twisted somewhat, but the look in her eyes became intent. "Do you recall the first time we played shogi here together? When that desperate man tried to ask me out?"

"The guy who tried five times in a row?" Ryuji breathed, if frowning. "I don't remember his face, but yeah. Wait, don't tell me he did it again!"

Hifumi sighed. "He did try again, repeatedly" she said, not impressed; that shit was clear as hell in her expression. "And not only that, he refused to believe me when I said I was already dating someone. To use your choice of words, he proved himself a major dumbass."

"Damn straight he did" he grunted, completely in agreement. "Where is he now? If he's still hanging around, I'm gonna have a _word_ with him!"

Her hand covered his for a moment- she appeared to be feeling better already, least a little. "That isn't necessary, Ryuji" she assured, before taking out her phone, one hand brushing against the dragon charm. "Remember how I said I would report him, if he tried to ask me out again?"

"Yup. So you're gonna?" he asked, intent.

It wasn't bad enough that the dude was harassing Hifumi _before_ they started dating, but now he's harassing his girl; hell if he's gonna allow that! Dude better be glad that he left, because it wouldn't have been pretty... plus he'd rather not have started an incident or anything major, if he didn't have to.

"Yes. I remembered his face right away, but not his name" she continued, before showing a pic of a dude. "I carefully asked him what it was, and when he provided it, I snapped this picture to identify him to the police."

Ryuji began to grin. "You set him up" he realized, even as he recognized the dude now - probably the guy who ran into him earlier too. "Damn, I bet his face when he realized you duped him was priceless!"

A little smirk. "Quite priceless" she agreed.

"I wish I could've seen a pic of that, but what's done is done" he continued with a chuckle - still, then he got serious and took her hand for real, which slightly surprised her (he felt his cheeks heat up a bit, but was fine otherwise). "Seriously though, I'm glad you took care of him. If _I'd_ gone after the dude, it could've ended with a fight or worse, since he was that desperate."

Hifumi's cheeks turned slightly pink, but her fingers moved against his hand. "I appreciate that, Ryuji" she answered, giving a little smile. "Still, if that had happened, I believe it would have resulted in rumors about my dating."

"Probably, yeah."

"But also" she continued, slightly more intent; that got his attention. "I believe that rumors of our dating will happen regardless, sooner or later. And I would- I would choose to tell the press myself, rather than let rumors escalate. Frankly, I'm surprised there hasn't been any yet."

Honestly, Ryuji was glad that they weren't- dealing with all that shit just sounded like a pain-in-the-ass. That being said, she's right; it's gonna happen sooner or later, and if Hifumi tells them outright, she'd probably be able to handle things with much less hassle, whereas he might tell them all to screw off if they got too personal.

"Well rumors or no rumors, I say go for it, Hifumi" he breathed, giving a smile. "Sooner's better than never, as the saying goes."

A slight giggle. "That's not exactly how it goes, but I understand" Hifumi assured, giving his hand a light squeeze, even as her expression became nervous. "Still, before I do so... I- I would wish for my parents, and yours, to find out about us first. If that is alright with you, Ryuji."

Okay, now he was suddenly nervous again... him meeting her parents, and her meeting his mom!? They've only been on two dates total, three if you count today's 'casual date' or whatever; they're still 'recent' recent and everythin', even though they've been hanging out for months before that! Then as if that weren't enough, his nervous reaction was mixed with a kinda-dread, for he assumed that Hifumi's parents - one, maybe both - would likely grill him about their relationship, his situation, and a bunch of things to make sure he's not some jerk. He got that, for real, but it also meant that Hifumi would hear the details of things that were heavy, dark, and just plain shitty... such as the fact that he don't have parents, plural, plus the specifics of the Kamoshida incident.

Still hate that guy.

...though, as he realized earlier, Hifumi would eventually find out anyway if they kept dating. And he did trust her to keep his secrets, as well as help him feel better over things; 'course he did.

 _"I'm not gonna like this, at all. But it's gotta be done... if I tell her these things in front of her parents, they'll all hear it at the same time, and that'll get it over with"_ Ryuji thought, rather slow. _"Only have to get it off my chest once, not multiple times. Yeah. Still gonna suck though..."_

He didn't notice at the time, but Hifumi noted his reaction, and seemed concerned about it. The hesitation she seemed to get, but the way his mouth frowned - with a matching brow - spoke of other things, and she wasn't sure how to respond.

Even after he said meeting them was 'alright' with him.

* * *

 _Considerably later_

"Are you certain you wish to do this _today_?"

He gave off a sigh, idly kicking at nothing with his foot, but his expression was set - they were just in front of her house, if in an area that the windows couldn't see. "Yeah, I'm sure, Hifumi" he said, intent. "I'm not really prepared or nothin', but I'll meet this head-on and do the best I can anyway. If I had time to think, I'd just get more and more nervous, and then I'd probably say stupid shit... well, _more_ stupid anyway. I hope that I don't screw it all up anyway."

"Please don't say that, Ryuji" Hifumi insisted a little, hands in front of her. "You are earnest, and driven when it comes to facing most any situation, this one included. I believe that once they get past any initial impressions, my parents will see that you are a good man, someone who cares about people and hates seeing anyone mistreated."

Ryuji began to rub the back of his head. "You're gonna make me blush" he said with a grin, teasing-

-she shifted at that, but managed a smile, thinking it's just a cover for his (pleased) embarrassment. "It- it is the truth" she continued, "And I plan to prove it to my parents. We could even play a quick game of shogi in front of them, as part of the effort to show this."

He tilted his head, brow furrowed. "But... won't that show them I don't play the game well, and can't think ahead much? That can't be good."

Hifumi shook her head. "It's true that they'll see your relative inexperience at shogi, and your instinctive approach to the game, but those are hardly the only things they'll consider" she said, more gentle. "And more than that, it will reveal the most important thing of all: that we enjoy playing together, as well as each other's company."

At that, his expression cleared. "And they'll see that we're happy, which is particularly big on you since you're their daughter. Oohhh, that's clever!" Ryuji said, chuckling- he easily play-nudged her shoulder with a grin, which she didn't mind. "Look at you, playing the field, Hifumi! I still don't think it'll be easy or nothin', but that should definitely work!"

She very-nearly blushed, hard, simply because he'd said 'playing the field'-

-later, she'll have to tell him that it means something entirely different, than the shogi-released metaphor he seems to think it does.

Mmh, but still, the thought almost made her giggle after-the-fact; Ryuji made things interesting, to say the least.

...

"Mother, I'm home."

"You're just in time, Hifumi. When I got your call, I was already making dinner anyway - I'm curious to know who this 'guest' is."

Hifumi could indeed smell dinner being cooked, and she noted the distinct aroma of katsu curry being cooked- this gave her a small smile. Still, her heart remained jittery as she looked at Ryuji, who observed the interior of her house with interest (while having heard her mother's words).

"Not half-bad" he said with a smile, sincere. "A real nice place, and certainly bigger than the apartment me and my mom live in."

"Well, I suppose that may be due to my family's money" she admitted, though she noted the use of 'me and my mom' as curious. "Before my father became ill, we had a fair bit from my mother's line of work, and my father's shogi fame. Nowadays our budget is stricter, but it is still reasonable."

Before Ryuji could answer, her mother's voice sounded again, much closer.

"Is that a boy I heard? Now I understand why you insisted upon having some meat added for dinner-"

Just then, Mother came around the corner, still wearing her oven gloves and apron- Hifumi had instantly turned at the same moment, feeling her heart-rate spike.

"-as I know they eat the stuff right up" she continued, lifting her head after a moment. "I'll bet you- ...oh."

Hifumi didn't need to look at Ryuji to know he's shifting-in-place, awkward and rubbing his head- it was a very-likely reaction for him. Moreover, she fought to remind herself of her own advice: the hardest part is the initial reaction, but once past that, things should begin easing up overtime.

"Uh... hi there, Mrs. Togo" Ryuji breathed, somewhat stilted, but he gave a partial bow. "Thank you for having me over. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto."

Mother seemed perturbed, glancing up for a moment. "Why does that name sound familiar...?" she started, before looking at her. "Wait, is he the other shogi player you've told me about? The one who was 'candid, open, and honest'?"

Hifumi slowly nodded. "Yes, Mother. He is."

"I see. Well, I must say, I never expected you to look like a... well-"

"A delinquent?" Ryuji said then, sounding painfully un-surprised. "I get that a lot, ma'am."

"Do you now" mother breathed, her 'tone' still unchanged. "That doesn't exactly inspire my-"

Before she could finish, a door opened- Father slowly stepped out, heavily leaning on his cane. "What's this I hear about delinquents, Mitsuyo?"

"Father" Hifumi breathed, relieved- today he looked particularly rested. While it's true that his condition has aged him beyond his actual years, he was still strong in mind and personality, and his voice reflected that; a bit more raspy than from her childhood, but otherwise firm-yet-gentle.

"Itsumu" Mother reacted, moving over toward his side. "It appears that our daughter's guest is... this young man."

"Indeed?" he questioned, looking over. "Hmm, now I see your meaning. But does the personality within match the outside?"

After glancing at Ryuji - who wasn't sure how he should answer, though there did seem to be some lingering 'irritation' with mom's unfinished comment - Hifumi cleared her throat. "Father, this is Ryuji Sakamoto" she said, gesturing toward him. "He is the second shogi player of whom I have spoken, the one who is candid, open, and honest."

Compared to the semi-wary demeanor of her mother, father just calmly looked at Ryuji for a moment, considering everything. "And are you, young man?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

Ryuji rubbed at his head, apparently without thinking, but he did consciously straighten himself. "Yeah, I am, sir" he said, glancing at her for a moment. "I mean, I won't claim that I'm the most respectable guy, because I ain't. But I'm not a simple jerk either; I just feel strongly 'bout a lot of shit, and I normally don't hold back what I'm thinking at all. Sometimes it gets me in trouble, because I don't know when I should hold back, or I needed to keep quiet but I didn't... but I'm trying to become a better person by overcoming those, f'real."

"So I can see."

"He is quite vulgar too" Mother said, looking at her with a perplexed expression. "How are you okay with that?"

Hifumi set her mouth a bit tighter. "Mother, please don't be rude to him" she said, hands held together. "But, to answer your question, I have discovered that it doesn't bother me. It is simply an aspect of Ryuji's personality, and I have accepted that - perhaps even developed an indirect like for how open he is in general."

"Yeah" Ryuji said, more easily now and giving a small chuckle. "That surprised me, as I thought maybe Hifumi wouldn't like it, being the modest type. But she don't care much, if at all."

"That aside, Hifumi, I wonder why you have insisted on bringing Ryuji home for dinner" Father said, a touch mild; he gave a little smile. "You didn't feel the need to do so with with that other shogi partner you mentioned. I believe his name was Akira."

"Oh... well-"

She paused slightly, as Ryuji put his hand on her shoulder - his smile/expression seemed to be saying 'You got this' (despite his own nervousness), which comforted her.

"I have brought him over because, there- there is something you should know" Hifumi said, nervous but intent. "Recently, Ryuji and I have... started dating."

Overall, Father didn't seem surprised, though perhaps he hid his reaction well- his expertise at shogi made that a distinct possibility. Mother was less successful in hiding her reaction, looking at a more-nervous Ryuji with... mixed reactions, the perplexment among them.

Well, at least it isn't entirely bad- plus, they have yet to show their enjoyment of each other's presence.

/

Honestly, far as he could tell, Hifumi's dad was giving him a fair shot - far better than he thought he'd get even. Her mom though had... what's the word- oh yeah, 'reservations' 'bout him, though she weren't hostile.

Not surprised, but least it weren't flat-out bad.

During dinner, Ryuji did his best not to eat like he normally did, showing that he did have _some_ manners and shit. Still, he felt awkward during the whole thing, simply because they're the center of attention - Hifumi seemed slightly tense as well, as if prepared for tough questions, but he couldn't blame her. At first the questions had been on things like 'how long is recently?', 'how did you two meet?', what they'd done on the two dates he mentioned, and otherwise how they behaved around each other. Heck, after he mentioned the dragon charm he'd given her on the first date, Hifumi's mom had even asked him if he was constantly trying to give Hifumi gifts or 'affection', for which he'd answered no of course!

He's not that kind of guy, plus Hifumi would've been uncomfortable with it too.

Hifumi herself, while embarrassed, had agreed with that last part; she would've found it too similar to certain male fans trying to bribe her into going on dates. Which not only made him more determined not to go overboard on gifts - not 'too little' either, yeah - but led him to tell the truth: thus far, out of their few dates they'd only kissed a few times, held hands a bit more than that, and nothing else.

Still, he had a suspicion that because of politeness, her parents (or at least her mom) weren't asking the 'real questions' they wanted to ask... least yet.

A bit afterward:

"Mmm, now that was some good eats" Ryuji said, feeling satisfied before he remembered. "Oh, uh- thank you for the food. It was delicious."

A slight giggle surprised him; Hifumi gave him a smile, even as she took care of her plate. "I find it unusual that you're trying to be formal, Ryuji" she said, almost mild, even as she helped take away her father's plate for him. "It's quite unlike you."

"Well, the situation calls for it" he defended, if with a smile. "I may be vulgar, but I don't wanna be 'really' rude."

"Thus far, you haven't" her father assured, still seated at the table. "While your familiarity with casual, even vulgar language takes some getting used to, you clearly don't aim to be insulting, Ryuji."

"Thanks, sir."

Sure, it was a simple answer, but Ryuji felt he had to do right by those at least- after all, Itsumu was Hifumi's father. Unlike his own deadbeat one, he's actually cool - maybe looked older than he is because he's ill, with that gray hair and age lines, but he's actually giving a guy like him a chance, even after hearing that he's dating his daughter.

Pretty cool in his book!

"Ryuji-"

He turned, seeing Hifumi's mom looking at him- she seemed to hesitate once, then went on ahead.

"-now that dinner is over, I feel like I must ask: what is your story? What made you decide to take on the look of a delinquent?"

*sigh* So there it was; well, time to get it over with.

"Mother!" Hifumi protested, with a worried tone. "That's a very personal thing to ask him."

"It is personal, but it's cool, Hifumi" Ryuji said, a bit more weary. "I mean, you guys are her parents, and she suddenly showed up with a dude like me, and said we were dating. If I were in your place, I'd probably wanna make sure I'm not dangerous or anything... in fact, I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner."

Itsumu glanced at Mitsuyo, but his expression was careful. "While I'm not keen on the timing, I'm glad you understand, Ryuji" he said, fingers interlocked. "Had my wife not broached the subject, eventually I would have asked as well. After all, there is a chance that you could be deceiving us."

"An actual jerk would be deceiving ya, f'real" Ryuji said, but like normal; he quickly sat back down at the table, thinking that Itsumu's experience in shogi probably has to do with his 'being careful'. "Still, I thought this would happen, so I'll tell it."

Not a second later though, Hifumi was at his side. "Are you sure, Ryuji?" she asked, still worried even as she moved to sit beside him. "Truly?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, after a half-start toward her hand anyway. "I don't 'xactly like it, but it's gotta be done" he said, trying to be assuring despite how he felt. "It'll be okay."

"...alright, if you're certain."

After that, Ryuji looked back at her dad, though he noted her mom started to wash dishes. He gave Itsumu a glance 'bout that, but the older man nodded, so he figured she's probably 'multi-tasking' - doing the chore for certain, but definitely listening.

"Right. My situation" he breathed, before sighing as his eyes closed. "Guess it starts with my dad. I don't know if he used to be good before, or was _always_ rotten, but... the times I remember weren't good at all. He drank a lot, and sometimes got 'physical' with both of us, and then one day he left. Ever since then, it's just been me and my mom."

He couldn't see their reactions, but he didn't hear nothin' either... at least, other than a pause in the dish-washing stuff.

"It was hard for mom, but she kept going anyway, trying to take care of me alone" Ryuji continued, still weary. "I really wanted to make it easier for her, so I did whatever I could to help. Heck, I ran for the track team to get a scholarship, thinking maybe I could get by in school that way. Maybe it would've happened too... if not for that goddamn teacher, Kamoshida."

"The same Kamoshida the Phantom Thieves targeted?"

"That's right, sir" Ryuji breathed, focusing hard right then- he can't let his words slip on that, not now. "Kamoshida hated our team taking the spotlight from his volleyball team, and so he tried to sabotage us, including talking shit to my face because of rumors he'd heard. He wouldn't stop, and finally I couldn't take it, so I- I just punched the dude in the face. I shouldn't have, but I was just so _pissed_ and wasn't thinking straight... then he broke my leg, and called it self-defense. Because he was famous and in power, no one stood up to him, and so I got blamed for everything when it was his damn fault - the track team was disbanded, no one took me seriously after that, and I got labelled a delinquent for life."

There he paused, mostly to let out a weary sigh... much to his surprise, his hand was suddenly taken in both of Hifumi's, real tightly too. He looked at her, and found her expression was nothing but worry, her mouth set in a line; she didn't say anything, but refused to let go.

Her parents' expressions were similar too, particularly her mom- she had a look that he couldn't place, like at all.

"Well... you can imagine how I felt, or how bad it was for my mom, 'cause she got blamed for what I did too" Ryuji managed to continue, still remembering the look on her face. "And because no one but my mom took me seriously, I decided to embrace the delinquent image to spite them. Or I _thought_ it was spite at the time..."

"Maybe it was-"

Surprisingly, that comment came from Hifumi's mom this time.

"-but you also did it to be recognized" she spoke, fairly sad and half-focused. "Even if you had to be a troublemaker, you wanted to be acknowledged. Given attention, of any kind."

Honestly, that kind of talk reminded him of how badly Akechi wanted that stuff, and fallen off the deep end because he didn't get it... even if it was the cognition version that said that. Part of him also wondered if Mitsuyo was talking from experience, since Shadow or no Shadow, she remembered how she'd acted before...

Part of him felt angry for reasons, but the rest of him fought to keep a grip; now's not the time.

"Maybe ma'am, maybe" Ryuji admitted, quieter; better to just go with it for now. "Either way, I'd resigned myself to being labelled, instead of actually doing shit to change it. And things stayed that way till I met Akira - Hifumi's other shogi player - who had a similar case of being unfairly labelled."

Itsumu leaned forward, a bit more intent. "And judging by your change-in-tone, things started going the other way, Ryuji" he said. "But before that, how far did you take this delinquent behavior?"

"How far? Well, I never smoked, drank, nor regularly skipped classes or anything serious, but I was never gonna be treated as an ordinary dude again, so I just kinda started actin' like a delinquent in general" he admitted, rubbing his head. "I mean, not bullying people or starting fights for absolutely no reason, but just sounding disrespectful and stuff... *sigh* which is a big no-no, apparently. As for the 'other way' thing, yeah, they have. I made new friends, started to stop caring 'bout needing other peoples' approval to get by, and try not get into fights that I don't gotta - but I still wanna do my best. Not just for me, but for others too so that they don't suffer like I did- that includes my mom, my friends, the old track team, a-and now Hifumi."

"Yes. It's just as I said father, mother" Hifumi said, quite intent herself- she squeezed his hands even tighter without looking, a little too much in fact (ow). "Ryuji is candid, open, and honest. Perhaps he is a bit rough, but he isn't a terrible person, and I enjoy playing shogi with him."

"Speaking of which-" came from her dad then.

Huh?

...

 _A bit later_

She'd had no idea...

Hifumi set up the shogi board as per habit, this game having been requested by her father so he and mother could watch, but her mind was still on what she'd learned from Ryuji. His image-but-not-personality being that of a delinquent had suggested his situation wasn't normal, but she hadn't given it much thought beyond this, uncertain if she should ask. Now though, she'd been horrified... not just by what she learned, but the weary-acceptance in Ryuji's voice, which had been so at odds with his personality that it almost seemed like a different person was sitting there. Still, in hindsight it did serve to explain why he seemed to have low self-esteem- at least when he didn't feel driven to do something/express himself, which she believed was also a result of his experiences. The abuse he's suffered, particularly to the degree of having _his own leg broken_ , would make anyone mad- and now she knew exactly why he walked with a limp.

It's all the more remarkable that, with a little help from Akira/their friends, Ryuji wanted to make sure people didn't suffer like he had.

The thought made Hifumi smile a bit, which helped her feel better; he didn't feel that the world 'owed' him in any way. Many others would've given in (as he nearly did), but even now Ryuji's moving forward, including his trying to run every day, and help out his mother... those otherwise-innocuous comments now had so much more weight behind them.

And more of her respect/admiration.

"Alright, no more of the sad stuff" Ryuji said opposite her, moving the chair so that he was sitting-backward in it. "Now it's time where we can start laughing and smiling again."

She noted the way he sat, but honestly it didn't surprise her, even if it was kinda amusing. "I don't know about us laughing, but we'll see" Hifumi agreed, finishing up the placement of the pieces. "As always, we shall play with my being handicapped; no captured pieces can be used by me. Still, you get the first move."

"Why, Hifumi?" he asked, curious. "You suggested this game in the first place, before we got here."

"I did, but compared to my skill level, Ryuji, you still have a long way to go" she said, fairly teasing.

He grinned. "Oh yeah, well just wait till I get good at this game" Ryuji said, pointing at her- a bit surprising, but she detected no rudeness in it, even with his faux-offended tone. "Even if it takes years for me to win, handicap or nothin', I'll remember that and throw those words back in your face!"

A small smirk. "Is that a challenge? Let us hope you can back it up" Hifumi answered, beginning to enjoy herself already - regardless of if it's serious or 'merely' banter, she wouldn't mind Ryuji's skills improving to that level.

"Here goes then!"

Even as the game began, her parents were off to one side, somewhat bemused that they'd been 'forgotten' so quickly:

"Hifumi seems to be right about Ryuji's skill level" Itsumu observed, if with a lip curve - he idly wiped at his forehead, trying to recover where he sat, even as he kept his voice low. "His moves are instinctive thus far. There's some thought, but not the planning-ahead sort - that tells me he isn't a manipulative type, to any degree."

Beside him, Mitsuyo seemed to thinking hand, one hand near her mouth. "So it seems..."

"What is it?"

"The moment he showed up, I assumed a lot of things" she said, mouth more twisted. "After that, I tried to be reasonable about it, and think maybe he just had a stereotypical 'bad boy' image... but I didn't expect _this_."

Itsumu nodded gravely, knowing the latter feeling, but kept his tone sincere. "You were prepared for if he tried to generate sympathy from us with his story, or was putting on an act" he said, knowing her - from him, she had learned how to read peoples' expressions/body language, even if it wasn't a habit of hers to look all the time. "But Ryuji is an open book; he could not hide his true colors if he were such a character."

"Yes. I still find it... unusual that he's so crude and vulgar, yet Hifumi doesn't seem to care."

He reached over and touched her hand. "Hifumi is still young, Mitsuyo, still exploring her reactions to the world and it's people" he assured, more gentle. "This is her first romantic relationship, with someone who obviously is not after her body, even if he is vulgar in personality. Who knows what will happen?"

She didn't reply right away, not looking away from the match going on-

 _"In trying to take my silver general, you have left a hole in your defenses. Now you shall pay for that mistake; Icy Infiltration Ambush!"_

 _"Gah, damn! Well uh, mmh... hah, the Skull Kingdom saw that coming and lured you here! Now you lost your invader, and then we'll bring down the sky dragon on your asses!"_

 _"You better pray that your words are true, for the Togo Kingdom has many more surprises in store for your poor soldiers."_

-"She's getting fired up about it, as usual" Mitsuyo said, slightly more fond. "Just like you did in your youth. But look at her: she's so happy that someone else enjoys her 'embarrassing habit', and shares in it."

Itsumu gave a smile as he watched, seeing that despite Ryuji's banter, Hifumi was dominating the game easily. "So she is, and Hifumi seems to enjoy his company quite a bit. Let us not hamper this, dear."

"Mmh. That'll be difficult."

After that, they were silent and simply watched the game, seeing how their daughter and this young man behaved.

Back to said participants:

"Your west wall has fallen, and my subjects give a mighty battle cry at the scent of blood, sensing the despair of their foes" Hifumi said, really in the zone. "The Skull Kingdom has indeed fought to it's last man, but in vain, for the dragon that governs the blue sky appears to be leaning into my hands. What will you do now?"

Across from her, Ryuji was rubbing at his hair, apparently trying to figure out how to respond and/or get out of her trap. "Uhh..." he breathed at first, glancing up before inspiration appeared to come, for he spoke very fast: "The battle ain't over yet, and the dragon still ain't decided who to support! We'll sneak our way up and take you by surprise andandandandand- gah!"

This drew her out of it, staring at him in surprised confusion.

"Hot damn, I don't even know where I was going with that!" he said, half-to himself and incredulous. "I just started and then my mouth couldn't make words! I mean really-"

"Hehehaha."

"Huh?" Ryuji breathed, looking at her with this stunned expression-

-Hifumi tried to contain her giggles, but it became increasingly difficult.

"Wha- hey, come on! It's not funny!" he tried to protest... 'tried', because he had subtle unconscious movements, and his mouth kept twitching towards a grin. "People lose track of what they're saying all the time, just like- I mean- come on it's... ah screw it!"

Just before that last bit, she lost all attempts at composure and simply laughed- it wasn't long before Ryuji joined in, both of them 'holding themselves' as this happened. For her part, Hifumi was heavily reminded of his very-loud 'Hell yeah' from a week ago, and how much she had enjoyed it despite the surprise, something she hadn't expected before-the-fact.

* * *

 _Outside_

 _Fairly later_

Ryuji closed the front door, standing outside after having said his goodbyes to her parents- whew, it's pretty much over. He'd first thought Hifumi's mom would be the biggest problem, but turns out she didn't hate him - not sure she exactly 'liked' him yet, but she's kinda giving him a chance, so there's time to work on it - while her father was pretty cool.

Wish he had one like that... seriously.

Or he meant, a real one- heh, he definitely remembered Boss had unwittingly become like one to their whole group, and despite the guy's grumbles hadn't rejected the status.

"Ryuji?"

Brought out of it, he turned and saw Hifumi standing 'bout ten feet away, having been waiting for him. "Hey" Ryuji breathed, making a sound. "Sorry that the private talk took so long."

She shook her head, hands in front of her. "No, it's fine. I suppose that there are some things they would only say in private. I'm certain I won't be any different" Hifumi admitted, if looking at him curiously. "Can you tell me?"

"Huh? Oh uh, sure" he said, looking around (and glancing back at the house); he had to work to lower his voice then. "Well uh, they mostly gave some warning stuff, though your dad said it's 'cause of their job as parents" he continued, before chuckling. "In fact, even _I_ could tell he didn't believe some of the stuff he said - he didn't believe I'd try anything, but he said it anyway so that I'd 'know my place', as he said. Heh, he's a seriously cool dude."

That comment got a _really_ fond smile out of her. "He certainly is a great man. Thank you, Ryuji."

Ryuji nearly felt his cheeks heat up, distracted by her smile- gah, he had to pull himself together! "Y-You're welcome" he quickly breathed, rubbing his head as he glanced away, "I gotta admit, he's the kind of dad I wish I had."

He didn't see her expression change, but next thing he knew, Hifumi was hugging him tightly.

"Huh- what?" he breathed, mostly in surprise.

"S-Sorry... it's just, I wanted- I wanted to give you some comfort. Is that t-too forward of me?"

Comfort? For w- oh yeah, because she'd heard his whole situation earlier.

After a moment, he swallowed his nervousness and made sure to hold her back - while Hifumi moved at this, she didn't tense or nothin', much to his relief.

"No, it's okay, Hifumi" Ryuji said, feeling warm- she really is more than someone like him deserves, even if he's not gonna stop things just 'cause of _that_. "F'real."

"It's just, I can't imagine how alone you must have felt" she breathed against him, her hands moving a bit on his back. "I felt that way too in hindsight, before meeting Akira and yourself."

"Well... I won't deny it. But while I 'preciate this, I'm not one to focus on the past much, 'specially where bad stuff's concerned" Ryuji answered, trying to be a bit more gentle. "I'm all 'bout moving forward."

"I'm aware of that, Ryuji. But even still, I-I wanted to do this for you."

"Heh, you really are awesome, you know that?"

Hifumi pulled back from him, cheeks sorta-pink but she gave him a smile. "I- I wouldn't go that far" she admitted, lightly fingering the red strand in her hair. "But, thank you."

In that moment, Ryuji just gave a smile, thinking he can see what traits she got from her parents, physically or otherwise... hmm, her eyes/hair color were from her mom, but the way she 'posed' and acted seemed much like her dad. Then before he could lose his nerve, he leaned forward a bit, slow enough at first that Hifumi could notice what he's doing - the moment she did, there was a jolt, but after that her eyes began to close.

Heh, yeah; still early and everything.

After the kiss, her cheeks were redder, but she only tucked a bit of hair behind her ear with a little smile.

He rubbed behind his head, giving a sound. "I wish I could stay longer, but I gotta head back" he said, already half doing that. "So even though it ain't actually night yet, goodnight Hifumi."

"Mmh. Goodnight, Ryuji."

* * *

 **For anyone wondering about the name Itsumu, I based that off her family's apparent theme naming. Hifumi being 'one two three' in Kanji symbols, Mitsuyo being 'three four' in mixed symbols (including Kanji), and then Itsumu being 'five six' in Kanji symbols. I do my research hehe ;)**

 **Still, it was interesting writing both of Hifumi's parents - her father seemed easy enough from comments and Hifumi's obvious looking-up-to-him angle, while a post-change-of-heart Mitsuyo had to be done carefully. With luck, I hope both were done to satisfaction**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Persona 5, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **As stated in the disclaimer, this story** **takes place after Twin Kingdoms, but in the vein of Ryuji and Hifumi becoming more than friends- the start of a seeming-unlikely pairing. Enjoy :P**

* * *

 _Shibuya_

 _Near Kanda Line_

Ryuji leaned against a wall, currently watching his phone - some time ago, Hifumi had sent him a brief text that she's been 'waylaid' by the press, so she might be late. Honestly, he knew she could handle them, but hoped it wouldn't take too long... after all, while he'd told his mom that he'd met Hifumi's parents and told her all those details, he hadn't said 'exactly' when he's bringing her over.

Honestly, he thought it'd be a good surprise that way.

Another minute passed... then a second one...

He heard the oncoming train before he saw it, which got him hoping she's on this one- if she weren't, he'll have to assume something else happened. Not like, 'real bad', but just that she got involved in whatever's keeping her away so long... he weren't sure what that could be, since it's just the press, but not like he had experience with that or nothin'.

Anyway, people got off and other people got on, but thus far he wasn't seeing her... man, he really hoped that-

-wait, there she is!

"Yo, Hifumi, over here!" he called, waving a hand and just plain relieved - if he weren't focused on her, he might've noticed that other people gave him looks. But he wouldn't have cared, just waiting here while she stepped through the crowd, slowing to a stop beside him; this time she was wearing that casual 'checkered-pattern' dress he'd seen her wear, with the long sleeves and stockings and all.

He'd definitely found that odd the first time, as it weren't his idea of fashion, but he saw that she liked it well enough. And while he might not like/dislike the style, he'd accepted that much by now.

"Sorry that I'm late" Hifumi breathed, glancing down. "I know I said I would be, but still."

Ryuji put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you're here now. That's good" he said easily, giving a little grin. "You 'bout ready?"

After a moment, she nodded with a little smile. "Yes, I believe I am" she answered, before working into her bag, even as he took his hand down. "I even brought something for your mother... I hope that despite it's state, she appreciates the thought."

Then he was a bit confused; it's 'state'?

Did that mean she tried to make something, but it didn't turn out perfect?

After a glance at what she brought out - a wrapped package of sorts, not offering hints of what it is yet - he then chuckled. "Did ya make it yourself?" he asked, a little teasing; Hifumi's cheeks turned a bit pink, but she nodded. "Then mom'll like it; I know you're always considerate, and I told her that before. No matter how good or bad it is, that stuff's true."

"I hope you are right."

"I am" Ryuji said easily, before gesturing. "Come on, let's get going."

Just as they started walking: "What is your mother like?"

A little grin. "I'll mostly keep ya in suspense, waitin' till we get there" he teased a little, just ahead of her. "But I can tell you one thing. My mom, she- she likes to put on a confident face."

Hifumi caught to him a little, her lip quirked. "I'm sure you meant a 'brave' face, Ryuji."

"Yeah that" he added, slightly sheepish but smiling. "I mean, she's not faking or nothin', but she tends to hide how hard things might be for her. I can see right through it, duh, but maybe it isn't obvious to others; I dunno."

"Mmh, I will keep that in mind."

* * *

On the way, Hifumi was still thinking over their chance encounter with Akira.

As they had plans, it had mostly been a quick friendly chat, but for her it'd also been a touch bizarre to finally be introduced to Morgana. He looked like an ordinary cat, and sounded like one to her... yet both Akira and Ryuji seemed to understand him, and this wasn't considered abnormal. From what she gathered, Morgana was (still) confused on why someone like her would be dating Ryuji, and if it's really true that she didn't care if he was rude, or loud. Feeling strange to be talking to a cat, she nonetheless said that she finds his honesty, openness, and drive refreshing, and found that she doesn't particularly mind when he's loud or rude, at least in most situations.

Evidently Morgana found that strange, if his 'silence' was anything to go by.

Also obvious, Morgana and Ryuji were... the 'headbutting' type of friends at best, for Ryuji seemed to enjoy 'rubbing it in his face' that he was right, which had _physically_ bristled Morgana's fur.

 _"Hmm. This is only a small measure of his personality, but I'm not certain how to regard Morgana"_ Hifumi thought to herself. _"If they do indeed insult each other on a regular basis, I suppose my opinion will depend on how exactly they go about it."_

"All right, we're here."

Drawn out of it, she stopped, finding Ryuji pointing at an apartment building - it was one of several on the block, almost indistinguishable from the others. Although she's now aware of his situation, it was an odd-yet-familiar sensation to see that this is where he lived; it was similar to the 'eye-opening' sensation of learning that mother had rigged most of her matches, if nowhere near as intense.

Ryuji turned toward her, giving a little smile. "I told my mom I'd be bringing you over, but I never said when" he said, sincere. "So this'll be a surprise. You gotta be real quiet until then, alright?"

Hifumi slowly nodded, giving him a smile. "I will" she assured, though inwardly she found the situation quite ironic. "You don't need to worry, Ryuji."

He nodded, starting to walk toward the apartment building. "I ain't, least not seriously. Still, come on; mom's expecting me."

In what seemed like no time, they were in front of the door- the front desk of the building seemed empty at this time, but Ryuji barely payed attention, heading straight toward the elevator. Once inside, it took another minute to reach the 4th floor - evidently the level they lived on - and then she was led down a bare hallway filled with identical doors, each with numbers tacked on. Then at first, Ryuji had her stand on the door's side so that in case his mother was standing in sight of the doorway, it wouldn't ruin the surprise- all done with excited motions, and a consistently-hushed tone. It was so blindly obvious that this was important to Ryuji, and the sight made Hifumi smile, thinking he cared greatly for his mother; she could relate quite easily in regards to her father.

Now that they were standing close, she could hear faint, undefined sounds. Perhaps his mother was cooking in preparation for dinner?

He soon opened the door with his key. "Mom, I'm home" he called like his normal self.

From further inside: "You're a little late, Ryuji. What kept you?"

Ryuji chuckled a little. "I took a detour on my way here, as part of my run. Guess I just took a bit too long."

"Well, you're still just in time. I'm making ramen for both of us."

"Alright, yes!"

From where she stood, Hifumi stirred out of her surprise - she hadn't expected his mother to be soft-spoken, because of Ryuji's disposition. In addition, she looked at her package of homemade-if-imperfect monjayaki, unsure now; dinner was already being prepared, so perhaps her gift won't be as thoughtful.

Still, Ryuji had assured her that it would be appreciated nonetheless; she will trust him on that, and hope it is so.

Particularly since she did not seem to be all that gifted at cooking...

Just then, he turned toward her and mouthed "Mom's in the kitchen, let's go" with a smile, before going inside- Hifumi made sure to follow quickly, if silently. Part of her was still focused on the irony of Ryuji being silent, as well as telling her to be silent, but it was an interesting change... and admittedly, the rest of her was quickly taking note of the apartment itself. Space-wise it seemed modest enough, if smaller than she's used to seeing, with them first going through a narrow-ish hallway, a space for coats/shoes/etc immediately upfront. Ryuji was already taking his shoes off, using nothing more than his feet - via 'holding' the back of one shoe with the tip/toes of the other foot - and hanging his jacket on a hook without looking.

"Just make sure you're cooking the noodles nice and soft, mom" he called, if a bit teasing. "You know how it is."

A bit of laughter. "Don't need to tell me twice; I know how picky you are about ramen."

Hifumi smiled as she carefully laid her footwear down herself, making sure to stay silent- once done, she saw Ryuji standing just ahead, where the sounds of cooking were evident now. Quickly-if-silently, she made sure to follow behind Ryuji as he stepped past the hallway, into a combined kitchen/dining area, and the smell of cooked ramen was indeed appetizing.

But her attention was focused on the figure preparing dinner.

Ryuji's mother was facing toward the sink, so Hifumi couldn't see her face yet, but several details remained evident. Her build was only a few inches shorter than her son, yet was more solid, somewhat contrasting Ryuji's muscular-yet-lanky frame. Her hair was a pleasant brown, medium-length and tied into a ponytail with a red bandana, yet was clearly 'wavy' in overall style. At present, she had a white apron and oven gloves on, working both a saucepan full of ramen and a bowl of chicken broth, from which the delicious smells were coming. Not a few seconds later, a small timer went off and the woman turned it (and the heat settings) off, beginning to work on the final phase of preparation.

Beside her, Ryuji chose then to talk again, seemingly familiar with the preparation. "Smells great, mom" he said easily. "Mind if we set the table while you're finishing up?"

"Oh sure, if you wouldn't mi- did you say 'we'?"

"Yup" Ryuji said, as quickly/easily as you could imagine - Hifumi had to admit, she quite enjoyed how he said it.

Her final preparations having paused, his mother turned around, only to become surprised at her appearance.

Now able to see her face, several other details stood out, just as before:

Matching her hair, his mother had brown eyes not unlike Ryuji's, if a considerably-lighter shade - they even had similar eyebrows, as hers were missing a part of the 'outside', if only a quarter as opposed to Ryuji's half (and were somewhat thicker). Yet overall, his mother's look and demeanor were not intense, or even charged with energy like her son- if anything, she seemed more reserved, demure even, or so was her first impression.

Good thing she's prepared for if this is not so.

"Good evening, Mrs. Sakamoto" Hifumi greeted, graciously giving a little bow. "I'm Hifumi Togo. I hope you will pardon my unannounced visit."

A moment passed, then Ryuji's mother looked at her son with a knowing, playful smirk. "So Ryuji, this is why you didn't say when your girlfriend would be coming over."

"Surprised ya though, didn't it" Ryuji said teasingly - he easily (and unconsciously) put his arm around her shoulder, which Hifumi didn't mind at all. "That was the whole point, mom."

In response, his mother gave a closed-eyes grin while chuckling-

-which was not dissimilar to Ryuji's version, if much briefer and smaller.

"Point taken" she said with ease, giving a soft smile now. "And surprises aside, I'm glad I finally get to meet my son's special lady."

"Mom! Don't phrase it so weirdly!"

Hifumi struggled not to giggle at Ryuji's near-yelled embarrassment, yet while her smile couldn't be helped, she did understand his reaction - notably, his mother had barely batted an eye, nor had her smile changed much.

"As for my name, it's Hakuryu" she continued, before seeming a bit sheepish - it was easily reflected in her smile/bearing. "Please dear, just call me Haku."

At first that surprised her, until Hifumi remembered the similar statement Ryuji had said, back when they first met- her smile grew softer at the memory. Already she was seeing the similarities between Hakuryu and Ryuji, such as how they outwardly expressed their emotions (if to different levels), and the kind people they were deep down, even to the point of being casual with strangers. Whatever worries she had earlier, about having to make a good impression or perhaps prove herself a worthy girlfriend, started to evaporate like so much mist after a rainy day. Right now, she felt as if the blue sky dragon had blessed her in secret, having judged her worthy before she had even set out on the quest.

It felt wonderful, believing that they'll get along great from the start.

"Very well, um, Haku" Hifumi said, with only a brief hesitation - she presented her package then. "Here. I know you are making dinner, but I- I made this myself for today's visit. I hope you and Ryuji can enjoy it together... or at least, try to."

Hakuryu gave her son a curious look, and when Ryuji just shrugged (if also smiling), she appeared to understand. Her soft smile came back in an instant, and soon she stepped closer, easily taking the package from her hands.

"Homemade? How considerate, dear Hifumi; as if I needed more reason to like you."

So Hakuryu had said in a soft, teasing manner- for some reason, it still made her face heat up, pleasantly embarrassed.

...

 _A bit later_

This whole time, he weren't nervous that his mom would like Hifumi; honestly, that reaction was pretty obvious! What he _is_ nervous 'bout though (sorta), is the inevitable embarrassment that mom's gonna heap on him, because it's her 'job' or whatever, and no amount of complaining's gonna change that... *sigh*

But, mom's definitely happy; he could see it in her eyes.

And that's worth any embarrassment, so he's just gotta keep telling himself that.

For now though: "Aw yeah, here we go!" Ryuji cheered, pulling up several strands. "This here's the good stuff, Hifumi."

"I believe you, Ryuji" she said, looking as mom served her portion - for now, he were seated on one side, Hifumi next to him, and mom at the right-angle corner next to her. "In fact, I see now that ramen is your comfort food. Just like katsu curry is with me."

"Pretty much" he said easily, starting to eat his noodles. "It's simple-yet-delicious, ya know? Perfeck stuf o ust njoy, ight?"

Okay, ate a little too much, because even that sounded like mouth-full words to him- in any other situation, it would've been damn hilarious. Still, when he looked at Hifumi, her lip was curled real big - but not 'struggling' - shaking her head slightly as she began to eat too.

Not answering, but not annoyed; not too bad hehe.

Mom of course weren't fazed. "So you've seen him eat before, as I'm guessing" she said to Hifumi, who looked over. "You don't look like you're bothered, dear."

"Oh, no ma- Haku" Hifumi breathed, giving a smile. "Many of the traits Ryuji displays are unusual, even frowned upon by society as a whole, but I find them refreshing and earnest. Perhaps certain ones aren't entirely a 'like', but I do not dislike them either."

Ryuji swallowed his portion, then took his girlfriend's hand - she jumped slightly in surprise, cheeks turning pink. "That's for damn sure" he said, a little teasing. "If anything, Hifumi just ignores them a lot, not even annoyed or nothin'. She's way more okay with a lot of stuff than you'd guess."

"Reeally?" mom asked-

-oh man, her tone: the motherly kind of itching to hear more details!

Hifumi seemed to have the same reaction, even as he was close to 'freaking'. "He- he means in general" she said quickly, flustered but okay. "I- I still tend to have a narrow comfort zone, outside of shogi I mean, but I wish to try new things at my own pace. Ryuji is far more driven, but he u-understands this and does his best to support me without... without being pushy."

"...y-yeah. What she said."

Later, he'd be kicking himself for not saying more, though honestly, he was kinda put on the spot and shit.

Mom had a little twinkle in her eyes, but the way she ate was the same; content, easy-going. "I'm glad to hear it" she said between bites, definitely softer. "It hasn't been easy for Ryuji these past years. Mmh, but I suspect he won't let me talk about that, for fear that it'll bring down the mood."

Hifumi looked at him after a moment, before giving a little (sorta-flustered) smile. "That does sound like something you would say" she admitted.

"Well yeah" Ryuji said, if slightly sheepish- it showed in his smile. "I mean, this is the first time you're meeting my mom, and it's going well. I don't wanna bring down the mood if I got a choice."

To that, she only gave a small giggle, grasping his hand a bit tighter.

Mom glanced at this for two seconds, giving a smile. "Just as I thought" she said then, a little teasing. "Perhaps instead, Ryuji, I'll ask if Hifumi knows about what you and your friends have done last year."

And now mom's bringing that up... he's half-sure this is related to her motherly earful, teasing him over worrying her. Really though, while he _got_ the worry and that she's _entitled_ to it as his mom, from anyone else ('sides maybe his friends, and Hifumi) it would've been a pain-in-the-ass to deal with, because he would've let it go by now.

Hifumi glanced at him for a bit, before looking at mom. "You mean the Phantom Thieves, correct?" she asked, a little slowly and intent. "How did you discover it?"

Mom leaned back in her chair then, taking a sip. "Let's just say that I had a growing suspicion, confirmed the moment I saw the Phantom Thieves broadcast their calling card against Shido" she said, if gentle. "When something that big begins with 'Yo, what is up everybody?', and that same voice continues to speak like my son does... well, it wasn't hard to put together."

Ryuji gave off a sigh. "Yup, and then after the whole Christmas fight, mom finally called me out" he said, half-sheepish. "Gave me the riot act for worrying her, and then dropped it to say other sappy stuff. Right?"

"Just for that young man, I'll wait extra long to make this stuff again" she answered, trying not to have a little grin- 'trying'.

"Mom! Don't joke 'bout ramen!" he instinctively exclaimed.

Too late; she chuckled quite a lot, even when still eating, leaving him to slump in his seat. Either as payback for that situation or motherly-embarrassing him in front of Hifumi (or both), mom's still intent on teasing him... but least she weren't serious about what she said.

Hifumi had a hand over her mouth (trying to hold back laughter), but her smile was soft. "I will assume he is right, since you have not denied it ma'am" she said, gentle.

"I would've put it differently, but yes" mom said, before gaining a half-sheepish edge. "And please, Hifumi, 'ma'am' is too formal."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's not that big of a deal, dear; I'm just saying."

She took a moment, probably deciding what to say; from his spot, he squeezed her hand to show that she's got this, and Hifumi briefly dipped her head. "Anyway, yes, I know about the Phantom Thieves, and that Ryuji was part of them" she said, "I too was involved in their business, indirectly, though I did not know Ryuji was of their ranks at the time. I don't wish to go into details of my involvement at this time, but it worked out for the best."

Mom paused, looking at Hifumi straight-on for a few seconds, her eyes flickering... Ryuji saw right away that mom knew what Hifumi weren't saying: that someone she cared about - as he knew, her mom - had been a jerk, and needed their heart changed.

She's good at telling stuff like that, a talent he didn't really have.

He could _guess_ , sure, but not figure it out so easily.

Then the moment passed, and mom got her smile back like nothing happened. "That's good" she said, giving him a little appreciative look - Ryuji returned the smile, nodding. "Still, Hifumi, I have to thank you: apparently your strategies really helped out the Phantom Thieves, including my son."

Hifumi toyed a bit with her noodles. "I'm glad too" she said, beginning to eat again-

-speaking of which, he'd already downed at least a third of this stuff already. Delicious!

/

"Here we go, Level 3!" Ryuji cheered, yet serious and intense. "Today's the day I'm finally gonna beat ya!"

From her seat, Hifumi silently rooted for him, still a bit in awe that he'd dealt with Level 1 and 2 with ease, whereas she had failed abysmally... if only because she had not figured out the game's trick yet. Still, the game(s) itself did intrigue her, as they were the 'retro' kind and quite old; each one was fairly simple in design, gameplay, and execution elements, and yet while she'd cleared several, the others (such as this one) were not remotely as easy.

 _Input commands: down, down-right, right, X._

Ryuji cleared that in an instant.

 _Input commands: left, left-down, down, X._

This time, she watched his thumb: instead of pressing each button individually, or all-at-once, he literally slid over them in a blur.

 _Input commands: right, right-down, down, left-down, left, right, X._

Fifteen seconds, and a dozen-or-so attempts later, it was not cleared-

-"GAH! Damn it!" Ryuji cursed, before sighing heavily and putting it down. "Every time."

Mmh- Hifumi gently touched his arm. "You were close most of those attempts, Ryuji" she assured, "I'm certain you will overcome this in due time."

He eased a bit, still looking grumpy and overall pout-y for a moment, before giving her a little smile. "That's the plan, Hifumi" he admitted, stretching out his fingers then. "Still, at times I think it's almost impossible to win... until I remember that it ain't, because it's been beaten."

"Hmm?" she wondered.

He grinned a little then, motioning with a finger behind them, where Hakuryu sat idly munching on her homemade gift (just watching them play at present). "My mom, she played these games when she was younger" he said, pretty mild. "She pretty much owed them, and I don't mean that as property stuff."

Mmh, no she didn't think so- still, that did make sense about Hakuryu owning the games, since this was her home as well as Ryuji's. Hifumi looked at his mother as well, wondering if she still had her skills at these retro games... and also, what was her opinion of her homemade monjayaki, as well as how big was her appetite since this was after dinner? The middle bit in particular still weighed on her mind, almost on an edge - slightly, if that's possible - and she had an inordinate desire to analyze every single expression and reaction, however miniscule. Still, one thing was clear: she didn't seem to dislike her homemade gift, for she had not visibly expressed any signs of disgust or disappointment, and even now continued to eat it piece-by-piece.

With her bare hands too, even if it's from her plate - that aside though, she smiled, glad that it was truly appreciated regardless.

Hakuryu herself gave a little smile, swallowing her current portion. "Technically, I still own them" she said with ease. "True, I don't play as much anymore, but every now and then we have game nights. Used to be more often too, where nowadays Ryuji hangs out with his friends more than at home."

"You know you're proud of me, mom" Ryuji responded, chuckling-

-"How can I not be?"

Hifumi nearly giggled, but looked at his mother. "Can you demonstrate, Haku?" she asked, with a slight effort - still instinctively trying to formally refer to her, she noted. "I would like to see this game beaten myself, even if I can just watch."

A bit of surprise, before Hakuryu chuckled and stood up, bringing her plate over - within a moment, she'd given it to her and Ryuji handed his mother the controller. "I don't see why not" she merely said, moving her thumb across the controller's d-pad several times; seemingly preparing her muscle memory. "Here we go."

Thirty seconds later, Level's 1 and 2 were cleared on two tries each, and Level 3 on the fifth try.

"Haha" Hakuryu stated, subdued but still a touch pleased. "Still got it."

"You sure do mom! Hot damn!" Ryuji exclaimed, impressed- he began laughing a bit. "Can't wait till I can do that too!"

Hifumi certainly agreed, even as she's stunned the game was beaten that easily- given her experience with it, beating Level 3 looked like an insurmountable mountain at this point, which perhaps even the blue sky dragon couldn't fly over, at least for her. Yet as much as she would enjoy the challenge, she pushed that to the side for the moment and observed their little interactions, giving a smile as his mother said that Ryuji would one day, knowing his drive.

"That was splendid, ma'am" she said then, intent on showing her appreciation. "I could perhaps play for years and never have that level of reflexes."

"Haku" his mother said then, with a slight quirk to her smile. "And thank you, Hifumi."

Oh dear- even now she occasionally slips up there, perhaps as a result of her upbringing. She wondered why she could instantly refer to Ryuji (or Akira, or others near her age) casually, and yet with adults she had some small difficulty doing the same... nothing major, yet even still.

"You don't gotta keep correcting her, mom" Ryuji cut in, to their little surprise- he glanced at her (Hifumi), giving a smile. "I mean, I ain't sure why she's having a little trouble right now, but it's happening" he continued with ease. "Let her adjust on her own."

Hakuryu became a little sheepish, but remained sincere. "I've only corrected her a few times, Ryuji" she pointed out, gently.

"I know that. That's why I'm saying don't keep it up, mom."

"Well, I'll do my best."

Hifumi definitely felt warmer, glad that Ryuji had noticed her little trouble, deciding to get his mother to ease up on correcting her. Sure, it wasn't a big deal, but the thought wasn't lost on her at all; he wanted to make sure that she handled this on her own, and no doubt help if she asked.

She certainly appreciates it.

* * *

 _Outside; nighttime_

"Good, it's not too chilly" Ryuji said, silently thanking the weather before closing the door behind him. "So... whaddya you think?"

Beside him, Hifumi held her hands together, glancing down with a little smile. "I think I quite enjoyed myself, Ryuji" she assured, leaving him relieved; he'd _thought_ that mom would like her, and vice-versa, but outright hearing it made it go away. "Your mother is a very kind and patient woman, and I can see the similarities between you, as well as what isn't similar. Tell me, is that how you felt seeing my father?"

"Uh..." he breathed, caught off-guard and trying to remember - he had thought 'bout that stuff, but what had he- oh yeah. "Just a little" he quickly added, a bit sheepish with his smile. "I mean, your dad is cool, and I can see why you look up to him, but I didn't think much more than that, 'less you count the appearance stuff. Still, hope he gets better soon."

A little motion. "Me too" she breathed, before tilting her head. "One question though: why does your mother wears a bandana, if as part of her ponytail?"

Kinda a weird detail to bring up this late, but whatever.

"It's nothin' real important, just something she likes a lot" Ryuji said easily, briefly gesturing inside even as Hifumi became interested. "During her teenage years, unlike most kids, mom wanted to stand out a little - not a whole lot; just a little. Anyway, she bought that bandana and started using it in a few ways, and eventually she discovered that it was part of her look, and she's kept it ever since."

Hifumi lightly fingered the red strand in her hair. "I can understand that" she said, quite soft. "I too feel that way, as this was given to me by my parents when I was younger."

Oh, so that's why she wore it; no wonder.

With ease, he touched her shoulder with one hand, smiling. "That's real cool" he admitted, before getting a little teasing. "But good thing we both have something else to share" he continued, taking out his phone and showing the dragon charm.

Her smile quickly became fond, lingering over her for a moment, her free hand brushing over her bag. "Yes, indeed" she agreed, gentle now before pausing... then she stepped closer, slowly slipping her arms around him (he quickly did the same). "Still, I- I should probably be getting home."

"Yeah" Ryuji admitted, much as he didn't want her to. "*sigh* This sucks though. I didn't get to walk you home on the first date, or meeting your parents, and probably not tonight either."

She stirred in place. "Um... if it's really that important to you, Ryuji, you can" Hifumi breathed, seeming a bit flustered. "Still, I wouldn't wish it to be a regular thing, for the reasons I stated before."

"Really?" he asked, a bit excited as he put some space between them, enough to look at her. "You're sure?"

"Um, yes."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered quickly, if 'quiet' and briefly pumping his fist. "Then I'm gonna do it tonight. Least this one time."

Her cheeks were pink, but she did have a smile. "Honestly, I wondered if you might keep insisting" she admitted, if staying close. "When you believe something, or want to do something, you tend to take it seriously."

"Hehe. That's just how I am."

A little motion, then she became more shy, but slowly began to lean forward- once he got it, he quickly leaned forward too, returning the kiss. It lasted a bit longer than the previous ones, if still the simple yet oh-so-good-stuff... part of him wanted to do it again, but he didn't have time since he's walking her home.

"Shall we then?" he asked, resting his arm against her back, even as she nodded.

They just started back-

-then the building door opened in an instant.

"Not without your jacket, Ryuji."

Both of them froze, then instantly turned... there was mom, holding his jacket and acting like everything's normal, little smile included. Seconds passed as this registered, before he and Hifumi both turned red in the face, with her probably exploding on the inside.

His wasn't 'inside': "Mom!" he yelled, feeling distinctly hot. "How long were you standing there!?"

Mom glanced up for a little, then shrugged. "The entire time" she said with ease, still like everything's cool - she tossed him his jacket, which despite himself, he caught. "How often do I get to embarrass my son to the people he cares about?"

"You- you did that all today, in the little stuff!" he tried to argue, before grunting; even he could tell his words had no bite. He just couldn't stay mad at her, 'cause he knew at worst, she's playful and nothing more. "'Sides, it ain't that cold out. I don't really need my jacket."

She chuckled, but didn't answer that- instead she looked at Hifumi, who was half-covering her face from embarrassment. "Just make sure he doesn't stay out too late, Hifumi" she said, gentle. "I look forward to when you can next come over. If you want some cooking tips, perhaps I can teach you a few things I've picked up."

"..." was Hifumi's only response; she didn't seem able to speak at the moment.

Ryuji still wanted to say something 'bout mom eavesdropping, but he made a sound and steered Hifumi away, to her jolt. "I won't be late, mom" he said, getting them to start walking - thankfully Hifumi seemed to agree with that, because he soon didn't need to really push her. "Jeez."

Unnoticed by him, mom watched them go until they were well out-of-sight... after that, her smile turned more sad, and she quickly wiped at her eyes.

"Oh Ryuji" Hakuryu breathed to herself, voice thicker with emotion. "You're growing up so fast. Friends who were part of the Phantom Thieves, a girlfriend- please, don't ever let them go, no matter what."

...

 _Shibuya_

 _Kanda Line_

Even after they'd arrived here, Hifumi still had trouble keeping her body's reactions in check; never before had she been so... caught off-guard.

She didn't even know how to feel at the moment, besides embarrassed.

From beside her came a sigh, Ryuji stopping them just-midway toward the stop itself. "I wanna say mom's not gonna try that again, but I dunno" he said, before turning toward her. "...Hey, you okay?"

Slowly, she nodded, managing to keep a only-slightly-faster breathing rate. "I believe so" she said, rather slow but sincere. "I- I probably will require time, to figure out how exactly I feel about this. But nothing has changed."

He looked at her for few seconds, blinking once before his expression cleared. "So you still like me and my mom, and all that stuff" Ryuji said, giving a little smile. "That's a relief."

Hifumi turned toward him. "Did you honestly think I would change my opinion so easily?"

"No, nothin' like that" he breathed, pretty easily if half-sheepish. "Just that, I worried you were so embarrassed that... uh, that you... s-stuff?"

She barely suppressed the urge to giggle, but it didn't stop her smile. "So you weren't even sure of my reaction. Just that it might be bad" she managed to tease, which made him rub his head, grinning to try and 'save himself' there. "Well, it isn't."

Ryuji gave a sheepish chuckle, still embarrassed but not lingering on that aspect. "I'm glad it ain't, f'real."

"Yes" Hifumi breathed, glancing down. "I believe that- that was my first experience with parental embarrassment. Or at least, a serious measure of such."

"You never got embarrassed before?" he asked, surprised- then he chuckled again, sincerely this time. "Guess you're special that way, Hifumi" he said with complete ease, even a little grin. "Most kids hafta deal with that, one way or the other."

As much as she agreed, the embarrassed warmth at his statement 'interfered'; he'd said it so casually, and so sincerely too, even if the context was something mundane. However, any attempt to respond became distracted at the the incoming train, which drew both their attentions away- soon she'd have to get on, to go home.

"We can talk more about this later" she said, to which Ryuji gave an offhand nod. "Come on, Ryuji."

"'Kay."

Just like that, both of them had crossed the ticket lines and gotten on-board the train, though they did have to shoulder past a few people. Taking their place beside a window, if with their backs to it, they were prepared for when the train got underway-

-but until it did, Ryuji seemed to jolt. ""Wait, what 'bout your schedule?" Ryuji asked, quicker. "Just shogi next time, or should it be a serious date?"

While confused about his distinction of 'serious date', she decided it could wait for a more appropriate time. "I should be free two days from now, I believe" she answered, giving a little smile. "I will better know the specifics by tomorrow."

"Alright, so I'll wait for yer call tomorrow. Or text" he said then, a little more teasing. "Either's cool."

While feeling a bit warmer in the cheeks, she did nod, keeping the smile even as the train doors closed, with the train soon getting underway. From then on they were both silent, as per unspoken public train behavior, but it wasn't long before Ryuji slipped his hand into hers- she shyly welcomed it, squeezing back after a moment. Still, her thoughts were about her parents, knowing she would be expected soon; mother in particular wanted to know Ryuji's family situation, his home environment, so as to understand him better. She suspected mother's reasons weren't entirely good, but at least she is being reasonable, and today she can now add his insistence on walking her home to his list of good behavior.

In a way, she had Ryuji to thank for both aspects.

* * *

 **Honestly, when I thought about the character type for Ryuji's mom, I decided being a lot like him (if less angry) was just too easy hehe. That and, I think, many people would have expected it in some form - so instead, I went for a more nuanced and unique approach, also keeping in mind Ryuji's statements about her reaction to being blamed for his 'attacking' Kamoshida.**

 **All-in-all, I think it works quite well, even if this four-shot is now concluded :) As for the name, Ryuji's means 'two dragon's, so I went with a dragon theme for her first name too, Hakuryu meaning 'white imperial dragon'.**


End file.
